Taking the knocks

Just back from a 12-miler - my old DART-to-Killiney-run-back routine. A fairly tortuous affair it turned out as well, which was rather disappointing after an improved midweek. Today the weather was fair but hardly warm. It was interesting to see the south Dubliners making the most of a non-rainy Sunday by invading every little harbour and bay along the coast. Watersports are not particularly popular here, compared with the Channel Islands for example. But people of all ages were doing their thing. A little hatch called Teddy's in Dun Laoghaire was flogging ice-cream like there was no tomorrow and the kiddies were in seventh heaven as they 'took the air' along the Marine Walk as many generations have done before them.

I struggled on to complete a ropey run and 29.2 miles on the week. I didn't after all, run on Friday evening. After work I got trapped listening to Radio 5Live Extra and the surreal sound of the Aussies getting their arses kicked at cricket by England. Once bad light stopped play all my good intentions of a track 'session' had disappeared.

Yesterday (Sat) was a disappointing one at Tullamore. It was All-Ireland relays day. The U13 girls were well beaten in their semi-final early in the day - that was OK, you live with that in sport and try to do better next time. The U12 girls however, on form, should have easily qualified for the final. Instead a bad handoff left us outside the qualifying positions. And, depressingly, it was probably over-coaching that was to blame in this instance. Sad for the youngsters and the very supportive Crusaders' party who had set up camp on the final bend (well, not on the track but on the grassy slope overlooking that spot). But all that can be done is deal with the disappointment and come back wiser and stronger.