A large number of the club are in action competing and taking part in events this weekend. Nenagh is hosting the National Combined Events and Relays Championships Saturday and Sunday.

Three of GCH's top T&F athletes Sean Breathnach, Eanna O'Cathain and Cliff Jennings are competing. Sean and Eanna are combining for the 2x56lbs and the 2xShot. Cliff is on tomorrow in the 60m, LJ, HJ and Shot.

The following road-race was yet another casualty of the bad weather over Christmas/new year. Gerry Carty advises that it has been re-scheduled as follows.

For those of you taking part in this year's Fields of Athenry 10K road-race on St. Stephen's day (26th December), GCH will organise a bus to and from the event if there are sufficient numbers interested.

The provisional plan is that the bus will leave Galway at 9.30am (approximately) from Westside Library and return from Athenry at around 3pm. This will give all participants ample time to warm-up for the race and then just as importantly, time for post-race analysis over a relaxing cup of tea (or perhaps a hot port for the day that's in it!) with fellow runners and club members.

GCH paparazzi have been out in force again recently. See who you can recognise in the following two newly created online albums:

Lucozade Sport/AAI Series of athletics-related talks with Rosemary Ryan

Hollymount 10K 2009

Most of the time I don't like writing about my own running experiences - it's much easier to comment on other people's running and racing after all. However, now that the dust has settled on the Dublin marathon, I'm prepared to make one great exception here. I half-committed that if all went reasonably well and I didn't blow-up spectactularly (or at all) on my second day out at the marathon distance in Dublin, I would share some of my thoughts, those being the thoughts of a mid-pack, but hopefully very enthusiastic (ahem!), marathon-runner.

I had the great, great pleasure of watching Dublin 2008 as a spectator road-side and with so many local and west of Ireland athletes out that day and running so well, this served as a great incentive to be part of the action out on the roads myself when October 2009 rolled around.

GCH's Andy Power travelled to Dublin last Monday to debut at the marathon distance. Here's his own personal account of the struggle and pain involved, but more importantly, much, much more importantly, the triumph and sense of achievement at getting over the marathon course and completing the distance successfully. Well done Andy and welcome to the marathon club!

Although I was hoping for the sub 4 hour marathon (final chip time 4:06:39), I can put my hand on my heart and say that after completing my first 26.2 mile race, I can appreciate the humbling magnitude of effort involved in even finishing it and feel honestly delighted with the effort I put in. Despite all the long runs and preparations, nobody could really describe to me how difficult it is to keep up a paced run for 26.2 miles.

While you are waiting for the official photos from the Streets of Galway 2009, a few amateur photos can be found in the photo gallery, titled "Streets of Galway 2009(unoffical photos)".

John O'Connor's photo-deck from the recent July magic mile in Dangan is now available via the Athenry AC web-site at: Magic Mile July 2009

Some great action photographs in there, particularly from the home-straight, where every sinew was being strained, eye-balls were beginning to pop, oxygen was being gulped - ya get the message!

Climb aboard the Corrib Princess and join in the Birthday celebrations.
We've chartered the boat from 7-11pm on August 22nd. The cost is a recession friendly €20, to include entertainment and food.
I have had a great response so far but there are still approximately 15 places left. These are open to GCH members and our close running friends. If there are stil some places and your wives/husbands/partners/better lesser halfs/lovers etc can survive 4 hours of incessant banter on all things running related, then they are welcome too.

Racing season is well and truly in full swing and there are any amount of races for whatever you’re into yourself and wherever you want to do it. Its easy to get carried away! Since the 5km series is sadly over I can console myself in the fact that we are back to, my personal favourite, the track. However it’s on the track that I struggle most with my sensible head, the Physio, and my not so sensible head, the runner. I’m not alone in this I know, for many runners the art of balancing training with injury avoidance can be a constant battle.
So I’m launching a new campaign, called;