I headed home on Friday last to Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan to visit my family. Normally on occasions like this I’d be packing my best sparkly top and my high heels - instead I was packing my running shorts, runners and my Athenry singlet! Oh boy have times changed... I must be getting old. I did a search on runireland.com to find out what races were on in the locality and I came across a half marathon which was 60% off road with a few mini sized mountains thrown in for good measure. I was a bit dubious about this one as I never did anything like it before, last minute I decided to sign up for it for the experience as I have signed up to run a leg of the Wicklow Way with Valerie “the machine” and the rest of the “Athenry Assassins”!.

The second running of the Cooley legends Half-Marathon took place in the glorious setting of Carlingford and the Cooley Mountains in Co. Lough.on Saturday 23/4. Myself and Ray Somers who I finally convinced to run, arrived at Carlingford Sailing club at 8am which was the registration base and the bus pick-up to the start line in Jenkinstown 13.1 miles away. The race started at 10am sharp, we ran half a kilometre on the road before we entered the rocky fire-road and left civilisation behind, 342m climb was the menu for the first 6 kilometres. Ray was obviously doing his homework from the start, he spotted 3 female runners ahead of me so he decided to run with me for the support and guidance (unknown to myself). The first female home was well out of reach from the start she was a local triathlete, as the climbs got tougher the 2 other girls ahead were coming back to me, I passed one after mile 2, I tucked in behind the other girl in yellow and blue for the next mile and a half when Ray urged me to overtake her as we approached the crest of the hill, this left me in 2nd (female) position.

The next part of the Tain Way was truly glorious: the path was narrow and uneven but mostly grass and the descend manageable. You find yourself flying down, playful as a child, but even then alertness is key. I gathered speed on the way down and thought I would open a little gap from the girl in blue and yellow but to my dismay I discovered she was that bit better at handling the descend and was nibbling away at me. The first feed station was at the 5 mile mark, were we also left the trail and went back onto the road. It took me a few minutes to settle myself and a few stern words from Ray before I could get my composure back. There was pain and joy here as steep climbs were followed by fast descends. I was passed by two men running together whose words of encouragement were uplifting, the other runners dotted ahead were not getting any further away from me so I was happy enough to keep this pace, (just under 8 mins miles) however the ever present threat of the runner in the blue and yellow was all to close for comfort, I could hear her voice responding to words of encouragement she also received from passer bys, I really had to admire her “never-say-die attitude” she really wasn't going to let me go without a fight, but I too, stayed determined, and wasn’t going to go down without a fight either.

At the 9 mile marker we left the tarmac surface for the brutal first part of the final climb to Goylin Pass, people were slowing inexorably and painfully and I was one of them, at one stage I looked over at Ray and he was walking (I think I was going so slow that walking was probably easier for him) 146 elevation and 2 kilometers to the top. “One foot in front of the other”, Aoife, believe me everyone in that race could have passed me and I really would not have cared at that particular moment of time. I managed to get strength from somewhere,I began to relax a bit and found a stride that matched the slope and quicker than expected I passed under the shadow of Slieve foy and there was no more uphill...

Dizzy and wobbly, I couldn’t take full advantage of the descend, I struggled to get to the bottom without toppling over at this stage my legs were like jelly. I took a quick glance over my left shoulder and saw that I had a new attacker, my friend in the yellow and blue had been overtaking by a girl in black and she was fast approaching, bouncing down the hill. She eventually was to pass me with less than a mile to the finish, I tried to respond and did for approximately 200m but my legs were having none of it, they screamed at me “ I’ve taken you up and down two mountains, no more” so I had to let her go. My next battle was to hold onto my position from the girl in yellow and blue, I was only hoping she felt as tired as I did and I would be able to hold onto my small lead, which I did. I passed over the finish line in 1.50.02; to my absolute sheer relief it was enough to finish 3rd female and 32nd overall.

There was plenty of food and chat afterwards at the finish, in all it was a well organised event for €35, however the prizes allocation got a bit messed up as they had a 10k race on the same course finishing with the half marathoners so it caused a bit of confusion.

For me it was a tough but an enjoyable new experience and a new personal achievement- sure isn't that what it is all about?