Loughrea at 40 (Updated)
Note - a full set of race results is available via the following link compliments of the Craughwell AC web-site: http://www.craughwellac.com/images/scan.pdf
Loughrea AC celebrated it's 40th anniversary in fine style over the weekend with a marquee series of events.
First up was a ChiRunning workshop hosted by former Olympian and marathon-winner Catherina McKiernan on Saturday morning (see: http://www.catherinamckiernan.com), followed by a running seminar with a stellar panel of current and former athletes that same evening. Topics as broad-ranging as sports nutrition, training methods, injury prevention and stretching, mental preparation for a race, running shoes (or the barefoot option!), gym work for runners for core-strengthening, over/under-training and racing, most memorable race, etc. were all covered in great detail and provided a great knowledge-base for the assembled audience with plenty of anecdotes thrown in for good measure.
Limerick man Jim Hogan (who ran competitively for both Ireland and GB/England in the 1960s) stole the show for many with his witty repartee and gentle put down of modern day running preparation and techniques. Jim's recently published book "The Irishman who ran for England" (Currach Press) is out now - it should prove to be a good read!
Just to impart two very small pieces of advice from the multitude dispensed during the evening - if you are specifically focussing on injury prevention or recovery, two easy to remember acronyms may prove useful:
PRICE = Protection Rest Ice Compression Elevation
REST = Resume Exercise below Soreness Threshold
Again, the size and active participation of the audience at the above event reflected the now very broad-based appeal of all things running-related.
The real highlight of the weekend for most however was the celebrated Loughrea 5mile road-race around the streets of the town on Sunday (the race even got a good plug from Robbie Irwin on the 2FM Sports Bag programme that morning, such is the regard this race is held in). With a proud history of celebrated past-participants (Charlie Spedding, Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O'Sullivan, Brendan Foster, John Treacy, Steve Jones, Paula Radcliffe and Seb Coe to name but a few), there is always a good buzz around this race and particularly so this year with all the attendant celebrations.
A large field assembled at race head-quarters outside the Lough Rea Hotel & Spa at lunchtime on Sunday to tackle this scenic 5-miler around the lake in the glorious sunshine of an autumnal afternoon. While all the local clubs were well represented alongside GCH club-members by some of their more experienced runners, it was great to see some of the more recent Fit4Life recruits taking to the road in Loughrea as well, some in their first official race. Well done all - may ye go from strength to strength!
Included below is a selection of images from Catherina McKiernan's ChiRunning workshop:
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