Author Archives: Mairead Lonergan

Club run on the Waterford Greenway

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On Saturday the 14th of October, the club organised a 14 mile training run on the new Waterford Greenway going from Kilmacthomas to Dungarvan. Although the weather was overcast, it was still dry and mild and it made for a great event.

What was really unique about the route was the diversity of the scenery along the way. From running at the back of farmers fields to bridges over roads, tunnels under roads to multi-span viaducts over small river valleys.

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The old railway tunnel at Ballyvoyle was surreal. It was discretely lit which preserved some of its character with a little valley of lush green vegetation at either end.

Closer to Dungarvan, the ocean views made for a complete contrast to what had come before.

The surface of the Greenway was a smooth tarmacadam finish and perfect for running on. What was unusual was the sheer number of people out running, walking and cycling on the Greenway, especially for an early Saturday morning in mid-October.

Overall, the Greenway is a great spot for a training run and highly recommended.

Our thanks to Halahan Coaches who we used to take us from Dungarvan to the old workhouse in Kilmacthomas. The driver couldn’t have been more helpful.

Our thank to EuroSpar Abbeyside which is literally within 100m of the end of the Greenway in Dungarvan. It’s as ideal spot for any small group for teas, coffees and scones after an outing on the Greenway.

And finally our thanks to James Veale of West Waterford AC for his help and advice in advance of the run. It’s one thing to be looking at information on a Facebook page or website but being able to ask someone with local knowledge is invaluable.

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Start of the 2017/2018 Evening Talks and Workshops…

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The club recently held a two part workshop in Cork City for its members, the first of a series of workshops and talks over the next few months.

In part one of the evening, Sports Psychologist Canice Kennedy gave a presentation titled ‘Mental Preparation for Road Running & Marathons’. As with other sports, many a fine performance goes out the window dues to nerves and anxiety and it’s vital to maintain a level of focus on the task in hand. Canice gave an entertaining talk on methods to prepare for a big event and how to concentrate on the target race.

The second part of the evening concluded with Chartered Physiotherapist Kevina Reel giving a practical demonstration on proper foam rolling technique with an emphasis on targeting the key running muscles. Foam Rolling should be part of every runners repertoire as it can reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) and can increase a runners range of motions.

The club plans to hold another evening of talks in early November.

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Member Profile : Ber Lee

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Name: Ber Lee

Member of Eagle AC since: 2015

How long have you been running what made you take it up: I started running in 2012 because I decided to go back to work full time and I needed an activity flexible enough to fit in with that plan.

Favourite thing about running: I love the fact that you can run anytime and anywhere. All you need is a good pair of runners.

Favourite race distance to run: 5K. Short & Sweet 😉

What is your main goal for this year: To get stronger and faster.

Your best race/most memorable racing moment to date: This year I took part in the relay event in the Cork City Marathon and I loved every second of it. The atmosphere was fantastic both on and off the course with support coming from everywhere. I didn’t want it to end. To anyone who hasn’t yet tried the relay, it’s a great way to be part of a fantastic event if you’re not quite ready for the half or full.

Tell us something most people might not know about you: I was once a competitive Irish dancer.

Biggest heroes (sporting or non-sporting): Mo Farah. I just love to watch him race.

One bit of advice you would give to someone thinking of taking up running: Run with a friend. You’ll keep showing up and before you know it kilometers will turn to miles. Also start building your core strength , the stronger your core the less likely you are to get injured.

Other hobbies outside of running: Going to the Gym .

3 things you would take with you onto a desert island: That’s easy. My Husband and 2 kids.

Club Notes…Fri 6th Oct 2017

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Eagle_Notes2Club Notes…by Karen Bevan

Well it was certainly a good weekend to meet Eagle AC members on the road with so many club members running the Cork to Cobh 15 mile run, great to see so many familiar faces and hope it was an enjoyable day for all. The Cross Country Novice championships took place in Riverstick on the same day and it was great to have both a ladies and a men’s team out to represent the club.

And for those of you with eyes on Dublin just to let you know it’s only 24 days away! Good luck with the final long runs and preparations.

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Mark Smith finishes 2nd in Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race

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Well done to club member Mark Smith who finished the annual Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race in an impressive time of 1 hour 25 minutes and 10 seconds. That works out as roughly 5:41 per mile pace!

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L-R …Mark Smith 2nd, Colin Merritt 1st & Michael Corbett 3rd

The club had 38 members taking part …listed below.

The following members picked up these category prizes…
Tom Fox…3rd M50
Denis Carroll…2nd M55
Frances O’Connor…2nd F55

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Many used the race as part of their build up to the Dublin Marathon at the end of the month.

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Update Fri 6th Oct : These are the 38 members that ran in the race…

2 Mark Smith M2 01:25:10
19 Ruairi O’Callaghan 01:34:29
35 Pat O’Connor 0/45B 01:39:0
47 Paul Cotter 0/40A 01:40:59
52 Thomas Fox 0/50C 0/50C3 01:41:33
60 Colin O’Herlihy 0/45B 01:41:56
61 Dermot Slyne 0/40A 01:42:15
77 Michael Forde 01:44:20
108 Denis Carroll 0/55D 0/55D2 01:47:52
128 David O’Keeffe 01:50:40
163 Martin Ryan 01:53:58
178 Mike McGrath 0/55D 01:55:28
181 Martin Daly 0/40A 01:55:42
188 Elaine Guinane 0/40I 01:56:21
214 Jerome McCarthy 01:58:01
228 Mark Gallagher 0/40A 01:58:54
269 Darren Casey 0/40A 02:01:34
270 Eddie Trindle 0/40A 02:01:36
274 Greg Moore 0/45B 02:01:46
291 Gary Gibbons 0/45B 02:02:26
309 Karen Bevan 0/35H 02:03:45
310 Danielle McCarthy 02:03:46
322 David McCann 0/40A 02:04:35
330 Gillian Murphy 0/40I 02:04:49
339 Derek Costello 0/45B 02:05:26
361 Denis Kelleher 0/50C 02:07:21
377 Alan Foley 0/45B 02:08:54
378 Helen Cronin 0/35H 02:08:57
388 Patrick O’Gorman 0/40A 02:09:35
391 Michael Noonan 02:09:54
392 John Swanton 02:09:55
427 John McCarthy 0/40A 02:12:37
437 Frances O’Connor 0/55L 0/55L2 02:13:0
503 Charlie Byrd 0/50C 02:18:06
586 Fiona O’Riordan 0/45J 02:26:58
598 Pat King 0/40A 02:27:41
613 Edward Fitzgerald 0/45B 02:28:45
620 Denise O’Brien 02:29:18
621 John Dunphy 0/45B 02:29:21

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Race report on the 2017 Berlin Marathon…by Donal Dowling

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Berlin 2017 – The graft, elation and leaving thoughts of where is the End Game! …by Donal Dowling

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As I sat last Saturday morning in the hotel lobby waiting for fellow Eagle Ronan Boland to go for a jog, I opened a magazine which was lying on the table and as I flicked through it I came across a nice quote from a famous Surfer Maya Gabeira who set the world record in 2009 for surfing the biggest ever wave by a female athletic. It went “Not cracking under pressure is the most essential thing in Sport. When the time comes, pressure can’t stop you; instead it makes you rise above what you thought possible”.

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Alan O’Brien runs 2:28 marathon in Berlin

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Well done to club member Alan O’Brien who broke 2h 30m for the first time in the Berlin Marathon last Sunday! His time of 2h 28m 46s was the 5th fastest Irish performance in the German capital on the day.

Alan’s previous best was 2h 33m 31s in Dublin in 2016 so his Berlin time is almost a 5-minute improvement!

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Alan was just part of a strong Eagle AC team that traveled to Berlin for the race with no fewer than 5 going sub 2h 50m.

Place number Name ac club Finish
100 33296 O’Brien, Alan (IRL) M35 Eagle AC 02:28:46
299 19439 Foley, Vivien (IRL) M45 Eagle AC 02:39:03
426 13920 Boland, Ronan (IRL) M50 Eagle AC 02:42:47
511 33469 O’Keefe, Sean (IRL) M40 Eagle AC 02:45:12
683 23274 Hill, Frank (IRL) M50 Eagle AC 02:48:55
2449 17655 Dowling, Donal (IRL) M40 Eagle AC 03:07:57
3841 37233 Ryan, Michael (IRL) M50 Eagle AC 03:17:55

As can be seen from the photo below, quite a number of runners from Cork were in Berlin for this marathon.

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The day before the big race. Photo credit : Lisa Boland

Eagle AC hand over cheque for €5,500 to Fota Wildlife Park

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Race directors Denis Looney & Ed Fitzgerald with Roisín Fitzgerald, Marketing Managing of Fota Wildlife Park

Following on from the successful Cheetah Run last May, the club has now handed over a cheque for €5,500 to Fota Wildlife Park from the proceeds of the race.

Fota Wildlife Park is a non-profit organisation and is also a registered charity. It is completely self-financing, relying entirely on gate receipts and membership fees for its income. Events like this are used to improve infrastructure and promote the company’s core objectives of conservation, education and research.

A word of thanks also to our race sponsors Laya Healthcare and John Buckley Sports.

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Club Notes…Fri 22nd Sept 2017

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Club Notes…Fri 22nd Sept 2017…by Karen Bevan & the news team : Well done to everyone who was running in Charleville last weekend another great turnout with some really impressive results and a long list of PB’s, as well as some spot on pacing, great running to all and Ruairi has plenty more on this below.

While you are watching to see if the Marathon record will fall in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday (24th) keep an eye out for our 6 club members running on the day, I have no doubt we will see some impressive times here too! The very best of luck to Ronan Boland (13920), Donal Dowling (17655), Frank Hill (23274), Alan O Brien (33296), Vivian Foley, Michael Ryan (37233) and Nuala Ryan (37234). Bib numbers included also. Enjoy what i’m sure will be a very memorable occasion.

Don’t forget our club BBQ is on this Saturday the 23rd in Sober Lane, the flying Enterprise Bar, start time is 8.30pm and do get in touch with Damian if you are attending, details below. This should be a fun night to see your club members out of their running clothes 😉

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Club members out for the tempo session on Thurs evening 21st Sept

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Glen of Aherlow Trail Marathon report – by Gerard Down

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Glen of Aherlow Trail Marathon report – by Gerard Down

Saturday saw the fourth running of the Glen of Aherlow Loop de Loop half marathon, marathon and ultramarathon and, for the fourth year, Eagle AC was represented – this year Austin Browne and myself lined up at the marathon start line. Numbers were up a little from last years 38 to this year’s 44.

The weather had not looked promising with low dark rain filled clouds hanging over the Glen and with a temperature that had the touch of winter on its way about it. But fortune smiled and rainfall was limited to drizzle and one or two short periods of heavier rain.

The recent heavy rains did result in a much wetter course than previous years with sections of the course waterlogged resulting in heavier going and, probably, slower times than might otherwise have been achieved.The course itself, a two lap course, was essentially the same as in previous years with the exception that some long stretches along forest fire roads had been replaced by trails through the woods giving a much more authentic and enjoyable trail feel to the race.

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Austin Browne had a superb race finishing in third place overall in a time of 3.42 and taking first place in the Men’s Over 40 category.

In my own case a twisted ankle at mile nine resulted in a more leisurely pace than anticipated ending in a finishing time of 5.37 with a 36th place and first in Men’s O 60.

The days racing was finished off with a hot meal and refreshments at the race HQ in the Community Hall at Lisvernane.