Monday 30 March 2015


Well Done Eileen

 
 
Coyne Winter Queen 2014, Taylor Murphy presenting the overall women's trophy to Eileen Leahy, Midleton AC. Also included is Brendan Barry, trophy sponsor representing Discover Travel, Midleton & Tommy Hartnett from CDCC.

Friday 27 March 2015

WEEKEND RUNAROUND

One for Easter Monday .A great race with great prizes.



Training "Back On The Grass"

Just a reminder that from tomorrow Monday we are back in the Cricket Field for training with the great Donie Walsh. Its a proven fact that a change of surface (especially grass) is of great benefit to any runner. We will be there from shortly before 6pm so come as early as you can.

Carmel Lynch Memorial 10Km UCC

As the lady said " The face says it all" tough, tough, tougher.

This race took place in very tough conditions on Sunday morning with a very strong wind facing the runners for the first four miles add to this the hills of the Lee Road and the wind against you to know what I mean. Over five hundred runners took part in this very popular and well organised event. Our runners acquitted themselves very well with Marie Gillman  (46.39) taking 1st O/50 and also on the winning Merck Millipore team as well. Whilst Louise Barry took an excellent 2nd O/35 in 47.07 and Niamh Dorgan took 3rd O/40 in 48.26 to top that off both Louise and Niamh led the M.T.C. (Midleton Town Council) to 2nd place team in Grade A. Aisling Coen also had a very good run as had Joan McCarthy and Louise Loughran. Declan Dorgan ( Harty Tax Consultants) training hard for the Paris Marathon had an excellent run in 42.13 whilst John Dunphy is getting back in great shape with 43.50. Danny McCarthy also ran having done Cloyne earlier. Paul Geary also had a very fine run and took a team prize with VM Ware.
Apologies to anyone I have left out please let me know and again thanks for the photos.




 Marie, Louise and Joan.
 Louise Barry 2nd O/35

Marie Gillman 1st O/50
 
Cloyne 4Km

The last race in the current series took place on Sunday morning and despite not so great conditions one hundred and seventy five runners took part no doubt many wanting that very special t shirt.
Our members seemed to have fine runs with Paul Spiteri being our first man home in 14.37 closely followed by Rod Scanlan in 14.43 which was only two seconds off his PB and considering he had a chest infection all week was great running. Our third man home was new kid on the block Luis Garcia doing an excellent 15.15.
Our ladies also did very well with Helen Gilroy our first lady home coming 2nd overall and that was after a sixteen mile run yesterday. Next was the battle of the ladies and taking 3rd overall came Eileen Leahy in 16.45 followed hot on her heels by Vicky Cleary in 16.46. Well done to all our members who took part and those that supported. Thanks also for the photos and apologies to those that were missed as always please send in your own reports and photos to mdtacinfo@gmail.com they are most welcome.





























HELP NEEDED PLEASE

Midleton AC Juvenile section are holding their annual Church gate collection this Sunday, March 29th.  Normally, parents of the juveniles attend the tables outside the Church, but as the juveniles are in competition on Sunday, the parents will not be available.They have asked us to help.  They are looking for 3 volunteers to attend the tables outside mass in Midleton on Sunday for 40 minutes from 11:25am until 12:05pm.
Please contact Maura on 086-1900445 if you can assist.  Your help would be greatly appreciated.


Cloyne 4Km and UCC 10Km


Best of luck to all doing these and any othere races this weekend.
The Cloyne 4 Km is the last in the series which has proven hugely popular and its a pity it clashes with the Carmel Lynch Memorial 10Km organised by UCC at 11am but then again there is always the possibility of doing both. Remember the start of the UCC race is now down opposite the Mardyke Arena and not Sundays Well as it used to be .

Thursday 26 March 2015


Thought some members might be interested in this. Danny

Christine Kennedy becomes oldest women ever to break three hours for the marathon

FORMER Galway City Harriers’ runner and two-time Dublin City Marathon winner Christine Kennedy is once again becoming one of the headline acts in athletics circles in the United States.
At the age of 59, Kennedy (née Boyle) has already become the oldest woman ever to break three hours in the marathon. However, her ambition does not stop there as she looks to become the first woman over 60 to run a sub three-hour marathon once she hits the milestone age at the end of December.
Kennedy, who was named the USA Track and Field Master Athlete of the Year in 2011, was back in the limelight once again when she clocked a time of 2:59:39 at the Twin Cities Marathon in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.
Her brilliant time saw her finish 30th overall – and 26 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor in the Over 55 category. It has provided the perfect scene set for her ambition of becoming the first Over 60 to run the marathon under three hours, which she hopes to do in Boston next April. Last year, the Corofin native posted a time of 2:57:44 at that event.
No doubt, Kennedy’s journey to this point in time has been a remarkable one. Although a latecomer to running – only taking to the sport in her late 20s – she has always defied the odds . . . no more so when she became the first woman to win back-to-back Dublin City Marathons in 1990 and ’91.
A co-owner of two running gear stores in Los Gatos in California, the mother-of-two first became interested in running after watching Emily Dowling win the 1981 Dublin marathon on TV. She decided to give it a go.
Within two years, Kennedy had firmly established herself as a formidable runner, winning such events as the Galway Marathon in a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes and 19 seconds.
In 1984, she was crowned National Marathon Champion following a string of good performances and she carried this form onto the cross country circuit where she also excelled. Indeed, she would later represent Ireland in this discipline.
It was not until 1990, though, that Kennedy realised the dream she had conjured up in her sitting-room almost a decade earlier. Having secured her first national marathon title with an easy victory in a time of 2hours, 38 minutes in Clonmel in April, 1990 – two minutes clear of second placed Elizabeth Butler, John Treacy’s twin sister – she finally secured that Dublin City Marathon win she promised herself all those years before.
Kennedy came home in a time of 2:41:27, over four minutes ahead of second placed Galway City Harriers Bernie Stankard. It was a powerful display. A year later, she became the first person to successfully defend her title in an even faster time of 2:35:55.
 









TRIP TO NEW TRACK IN CLONDROHID NEAR MACROOM, MONDAY APRIL 13
I have booked the track, see link below, for an one hour training session on Monday April 13, (choice of 4-5, 5-6 or 6-7pm) followed by a short meeting with some of the drivers/fundraisers behind this project. This may be an option for the Midleton or East Cork region. 
It would be great to get a few people together and check out the place, training session or not. I would need a rough indication of how many people are joining us on this exploratory trip.
Please follow this doodle link:
http://doodle.com/s2th9xd337umiqgg
You can cancel anytime. The track is just one hour drive from Midleton (Google Map 51.930917,-9.019223)
Andre Brodkorb

Tuesday 24 March 2015

My First Marathon

by Niamh Dorgan
When I was a young girl I loved running.  At our school sports days I would have been very competitive and I would throw off my shoes and socks so I could run faster, sometimes I won and sometimes I didn’t but I was always told it was about taking part and not the winning but if I didn’t win I would be very upset!  As I got older my interests changed and running was the furthest thing from my mind
Jumping forward many years running came back into my life again, more by necessity than love. My boyfriend and I got engaged and of course after getting engaged comes a wedding so instantly once the date was set I was determined to lose some weight!  I did a bit of research on how to lose weight and found that running was one of the key elements to successful weight loss.  I knew a lot depended on my success, so I had to become organised, committed and not to be afraid of the hard work that lay ahead.
During my weight loss program I started to love running, I had a great sense of freedom, not just physically but mentally too, when I ran I didn’t think about the hustle and bustle of daily life, I only thought about me and my run, how far can I run today and how fast can I do it in.
I joined the local running club, Midleton Athletic Club and I started to register for 5k, 10k, 10 mile road races and to me the elusive Cork to Cobh 15 mile.  Never in a million years had I ever thought of running from Cork to Cobh, usually getting the train or driving was the only way of getting there.  When the day came around I did it, I couldn’t believe it, when I crossed the line my elation was indescribable.  Physically this was the hardest thing I had ever done but the absolute joy of completing it was amazing.
Then one day my sister said “I think you have a marathon in you”.  Initially I thought not a chance but then as time passed by and I thought about it more, I considered the actual prospect of doing a Marathon!  To be honest, I am a bit of a starter and stopper, start something with gusto and then stopping with equal vengeance so hence never finishing anything.  So did I have it in me to commit to running a marathon?  Who was stopping me only me, myself and I.  After discussing it with my husband and with his full support, I finally took the plunge and registered for the Dublin City Marathon.  To start I downloaded a training program from the internet and so the training started.  I had so much support from family, friends and the club.  I followed the program religiously and also did a few half marathon races as part of the training.  I remember doing the Killarney Half Marathon crossing the line completely wrecked and thinking if I was doing a marathon I would only be half way there.  So the element of doubt started to creep in.  Then I injured myself on one of my training runs so that pushed me back a bit.  I went to my physio and she told me she was determined to get me to the marathon.  Following her instruction I had to rest and of course that was very difficult to do, as I always had it in the back of my mind how much time I was wasting by not doing my training and would this affect my overall goal of completing the marathon!  Thankfully 3 weeks before the big event I was back in action.
The weekend of the marathon finally arrived and my husband and I hit the road early the day before. We headed to the Marathon Expo at the RDS where I collected my race pack.  It was amazing to see all like-minded people in the queue who essentially were striving for the same goal, to run and finish the marathon successfully but all in our own good time.
On the morning of the marathon I headed to the start about an hour before kick-off, you could see all the different emotions on everyone’s face, nervous, focused, excited and happy.  Now I was hoping to complete the marathon in approximately 4 hours but I didn’t want to get caught up with the time thing as it was my first marathon and you just never know how it is going to go so I tried to think more about enjoying it and finishing it in any time.
Once the start was sounded we all headed off together.  From the word go there was unbelievable support throughout the streets of Dublin.  My family members were at different spots throughout the course which made a huge difference to me mentally.  Just to hear your name being cheered really does drive you on.  I have to say to my amazement the first 20 miles passed without a second thought and thankfully I did not hit the famous wall but I did get very tired around mile 23. The last 3.2 miles were definitely the hardest without a doubt but the last 500 meters was phenomenal, there were hundreds of people lining the streets cheering, a truly amazing experience. (I am getting emotional just thinking of it)  Once I crossed the line I just couldn’t believe I had done it. I HAD RUN MY FIRST MARATHON!
I am very proud to say I completed it in 4 hours 3 minutes.  I would highly recommend anyone thinking of running a marathon, it is an amazing experience and for me definitely one to do again.

 

Monday 23 March 2015

Ballintotis Fit4Life Club Host Nutritionist

Our friends in Ballintotis Fit4Life Invited Midleton AC members to attend.


==============================================

 Nutritionist Valerie O' Sullivan will give a talk at Ballintotis Community Centre at 8.30pm
on this Tuesday March 24th - Cost 2 euro per person.


Training Updates

Hi all,

With the clocks due to go forward next weekend, our training arrangements will also change with the longer evenings.

From Monday, March 30th, we will move our speed training from Midleton College Hockey pitch to Midleton College Cricket field.  This proved a great success last year, with a large open space to accommodate the large participation at speed training on Monday nights.  Training on the grass is highly recommended both in reducing injury risk, and improving speed (you're working harder on the grass so it will feel easier when you run on the road).  The time will remain at 6pm to 7pm, and we are delighted that coach Donie Walshe will continue with us for this session.  For new members (or anyone who didn't make it last year), Midleton College Cricket field is behind Midleton Hospital.  There is plenty of parking at the hospital side of Supervalu, and the field is walking distance from there.  We would encourage ALL members of all levels of ability to avail of this session.  It proved very popular last year, and with so much space available, you can very comfortably jog or run at your own pace if you don't feel like doing the set speed session on any night.

From Wednesday, April 1st, the indoor training sessions at both 6pm and 7pm will move to an outdoor run, starting with a warm-up with stretches with coach Edmond O'Sullivan at 6:30pm in the carpark of the Midleton Community Centre.  As the evening races take-off, we will review this session depending on demand, and I will notify you of any changes.

Any queries, please let me know! Anna


Note also

Below is a list of upcoming races .We are asking you to view this and see which races you are interested in running. Then we can arrange for you to discuss these with Donie who will advise you on what training plans would suit you best to peak for your selected races. Danny



List Of Upcoming Races in the Cork area (subject to change)

IMPORTANT to remember that the Ballycotton Series is on the 4th Thur of each month May June July and August.

Useful when booking holidays etc. NB It is the 4th Thur. and NOT the last Thur.

 

Cork...Sat 28th (11am)...Doneraile Park 5k race...€7...
Cork...Sun 29th (9:30am)...Cloyne Commons 4k...€4...
Cork...Sun 29th (11am)...Cork BHAA UCC 10k road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Straight Rd/Lee Rd...
Cork...Sun 29th (11am)...Gaeilscoil de HÍde 5k fun run/walk...€7...

APRIL

Cork...Fri 3rd (6:45pm)...Doneraile Park 5k...€?...

Cork...Sat 4th (12 noon)...Ahakista Rowing Club 10k...€15... 

Cork...Mon 6th (12 noon)...Bantry 5k road race...€?..

Cork...Sun 12th (10:30am)...Great Island 10 mile road race...€20 pre-entry/€25 on the day...info...
Cork...Sun 12th (?)...Great Island 4 mile run/walk...€10 pre-entry/€15 on the day...

Cork...Sun 12th (11am)...Old Head of Kinsale 7km fun run/walk...€10...

 Cork...Thurs 16th (8pm)...Ballintotis 4 mile road race...€10...nr Castlemartyr..

Cork...Sat 18th (6pm)...Dromahane 5k fun run...€10... 
Cork...Sun 19th (9:30am)...Great Railway Run 25km...€25.50 / €30 / €40...Cork to Carrigaline...info...
Cork...Sun 19th (10:45am)...Great Railway Run 10km...€17 /€20 / €30...Monkstown to Carrigaline...info...
Cork...Sun 19th (11:30am)...Great Railway Run 5k run/walk...€10.20 / €12 / €17...Shanbally to Carrigaline

Cork...Sun 19th (11am)...Leevale Track & Field Meet...Track & Field...info...CIT.

Cork...Wed 22nd (7:30pm)...Cork BHAA Stryker 4 mile road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Carrigtwohill...
Cork...Thurs 23rd (7:30pm)...East Cork Road Championships...Women 2k / Men 5 miles...€4 for members of clubs in the East Cork area...Ballynoe... 
Cork...Thurs 23rd (?pm)...Ballygiblin 5k road race...€?... 
Cork...Fri 24th (7:30pm)...Passage West Community 10k road race...€12...Proceeds going to Cork City Hospitals Childrens Club

Cork...Sat 25th (11am)...Doneraile Park 5k race...€7...

Cork...Sun 26th (12 noon)...Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann 5k fun run/walk...€10...Midleton

Cork...Wed 29th (7pm)...Crosshaven 8km road race...€10..

May

.. Cork...Fri 1st (7:30pm)...Kilworth Camp 5 mile...€?...

Cork...Sun 3rd (?)...Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k...€?... 
Cork...Sun 3rd (1pm)...Munster Ladies Charity mini-marathon...€20...Mallow

Cork...Mon 4th (6pm)...Drimoleague Feile Beag 5k...€?

Cork...Thurs 7th (8pm)...Midleton 5 mile road race...€10

Cork...Tues 12th (8pm)...Streets of Fermoy 5k...€?...
Cork...Wed 13th (8pm)...Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 mile road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Ringaskiddy

Cork...Sun 17th (11am)...Blackwater 10 mile road race...€20...Clondulane, Fermoy...includes dry-fit top

Cork...Fri 22nd (8pm)...Kilcredan 5k road race...€8... 

Cork...Sun 24th (1pm)...Emer Casey 10k road race...€?...Youghal...

Cork...Tues 26th (8pm)...Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5km road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Marina...
Cork...Thurs 28th (7:30pm)...Farran Woods 5k fun run/walk...€5 walk / €10 run...in aid of Aherla National School...

Cork...Thurs 28th (8pm)...Ballyandreen 5 mile road race...€5...1st race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series...

Cork...Fri 29th (8pm)...Dan Byrne Memorial 5k...€?...Doneraile Park... 

June 2015
Cork...Mon 1st (9am)...Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon...info...
Cork...Mon 1st (9am)...Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon Relay...info... 
Cork...Mon 1st (10:45am)...Irish Examiner Cork City Half-Marathon.

Cork...Wed 10th (8pm)...Cork BHAA Merck Millipore 6km road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Carrigtwohill...
Cork...Thurs 11th (?pm)...Coolagown 5k road race...€?... 

Cork...Sun 14th (11am)...Dunmanway 10k road race...€?... 

Cork...Wed 17th (8pm)...Kilbeheny 4 mile road race...€?...

Cork...Thurs 18th (8pm)...Cork BHAA Mount Oval 6 mile road race...€5 reg/€8 non-reg...Mount Oval, Rochestown.

Cork...Wed 24th (8pm)...Daniel Kingston 5k...€?...Macroom...
Cork...Thurs 25th (8pm)...Shanagarry 5 mile road race...€5...2nd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series
Cork...Fri 26th (8pm)...Courtmacsherry to Timoleague 10k road race...€15... 
Cork...Fri 26th (8pm)...Willie Neenan Memorial 5 mile