CLOSE TO SHORE

Stablemate Dermot “Sharknado” Cahill took a chainsaw to the Antrim Coast Half-Marathon, ripping 1’41” off his best to finish in 1:25:03 and 140^th overall. 

The slight headwind on the out section gave the razor-sharp runner something extra to get his teeth into; the return leg saw him chomping heads and legs off as he flew past the field.

The Stable News press tent was in full swing, with Brendan Sheehan and James Doran getting torn into the Fanta, when Ally spotted the great white himself: 

AS: How’s it going, DC? You were having a good talk to yourself as you finished there—brilliant stuff.

DC: Performed better than expected, to be honest. Have really felt the last few weeks’ training on the body, so I didn’t think I’d have done this well. 

AS: Canny beat a wee surprise success. Especially when the training is tough.

DC: Definitely. I went off at around 6:35/40 pace and felt good. I ended up with a negative split, as the second half was faster than the first (thanks to the tailwind).

Stuck to the plan and what Stazza said, so on mile 10, I dropped the hammer and worked hard right to the line. Was shouting at myself in the last 2 miles, and those around me must have thought I was mad. 

AS: Yes, man. Great effort. I always find positive self-shouting to be a great motivator, especially when the going gets tough—well in. I’ll hazard a guess that all the hard training is preparing you for something big?

DC: Yes, indeed; the training and Antrim Half are all geared towards the Dublin Marathon in October.

AS: Oof, not long now, then. Congrats again, Dermot, and I’ll be seeing you in Dublin when you bag that sub-3.

DC: Thanks, Ally; see you there.

The Stablemaster called the newsdesk from his 500bhp dune buggy, which was ripping up the Mauritian sands: 

“Woohoo! Who needs a driving licence when you can tear up the coast in this bad boy? … A bit like our shark-loving Dermot Cahill, who stuck to the plan and held his nerve before striking hard and fast and leaving nothing but body parts in his wake. Watch out, Dublin … You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”