So here it is, the last edition of the SMC Express for the school year 2022/2023. And what a great year it has been! This year's TY journalists produced more copies than any previous class which is testament to their hard work and enthusiasm. The teamwork and maturity they've shown is something to be proud of - traits our future writers can look up to. We hope you have enjoyed the content since September and are ready to dive in once again before the summer break.
Contents
- Run Your Best - Mr. O'Connell
- Title Race to Remember - Thiseas Zabetakis
- Home Stretch for FPL - Calum Brewer and Jack Hannon
- Creed 3 Review - Shane McLoughlin
- St Munchin's College Rugby Recap - Adam Naughton
- The Last of Us - Rhys McSweeney
- Formula 1 2023 season - William Kenehan
- Sci-Fest 2023 - Rory Specht
Run Your Best
By Mr. O'Connell
Running tips from a teacher that recently broke the sub-3-hour marathon barrier
Run more
By increasing your weekly mileage you will build a strong aerobic base that gives you the stamina required to hold a faster pace in race situations. Instead of doing two or three days running, ramp it up to four (or more) to enhance your endurance capacity.
Run easy
I use the 80/20 principle whereby 80% of my runs are done at a comfortable pace. Don't underestimate how important this is. By running easy most days you then have the ability to execute the faster sessions (20% of your training) with more energy.
Run long
Introducing a weekly long run into your schedule is essential in preparing for races like the marathon. But it will also help those doing shorter distances. It develops resilience and a strong mindset - key ingredients that make a good distance runner.
Eat well
When you are training hard over a prolonged period it is important to fuel appropriately. Eating lots of carbs and plenty of protein will give you the sustenance you need. If you don't have enough gas in the tank, your engine won't go.
Sleep well
This is too often over-looked, not just by runners but by people in general. A good sleep pattern puts you in the right frame of body and mind to take on the day's training. Sleep is a critical factor for recovery after hard sessions, in particular.
Title Race to Remember
By Thiseas Zabetakis
Arsenal fall at the final hurdle; City for the win
The Premier League title race is red hot. With only a few games left in the season the title race couldn’t be closer as Man City look likely winners.
In all three games vs Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton, the inexperience of the Arsenal squad was on show. Xhaka woke up the Anfield crowd which led to Liverpool coming back into the game. In the second half Liverpool were much the better side but Ramsdale made save after save to keep the reds out. Firmino got a late equaliser to blow the title race back open. In the end a point was a solid result for the Gunners as they could've easily lost the game in the dying moments.
Arsenal looked to get back to their winning ways at the London Stadium 7 days later. As they usually do, they flew out the blocks getting an early goal through Jesus after only 7 minutes followed by an Odegaard volley 3 minutes later. It looked like they were cruising their way to 3 points. Complacency started to show though as Thomas Partey gives away the ball and Gabriel takes out Lucas Paqueta, awarding the home side a penalty. Said Benrahma slotted it past Ramsdale to get one back for the Hammers going into half time. 7 minutes into the second half Arsenal were awarded a penalty. Bukayo Saka stepped up to the spot but blazed it wide. 2 minutes later a long ball by Thilo Kehrer found Jarrod Bowen inside the box who calmly finished the chance to level the match. Arsenal were unable to find a winner and dropped another 2 vital points in the title run in.
Arsenal hosted the Saints on Friday Night Football in a must win game. Straight away though things didn’t go as planned as Ramsdale recklessly gave away the ball to Alcaraz who slotted it in to open the scoring. Things got worse for the Gunners as 10 mins later Walcott found himself in on goal and calmly placed it pass Arsenal's No. 1 to make it 2-0 vs his former club. Arsenal clawed one back through Gabriel Martinelli. In the second half Duje Caleta-Car doubled the Saints advantage. In the 88th minute Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard smashed one in from outside the box to ignite a spark in the Emirates and a belief that all was not lost. 2 mins later Saka levelled it and with 8 mins added on anything was possible. Trossard hit the bar as Arsenal bombarded Southampton. Thomas Partey thought he was him as he blazed one over the bar from 35 yards out in the dying seconds despite the Arsenals desperate pleads to not shoot. Arsenal got their 3rd draw in a row and if they go on to not win the league, they will look back at this 3-game period as one of the main reasons.
Going into the game called by many the title decider between Man City and Arsenal at the Etihad Arsenal were top of the league by 5 points but City had 2 games in hand.
City started off well and grabbed the lead after just 7 mins when Haaland slipped KDB in who placed it pass Ramsdale from just outside the box. The blues were dominant throughout the match and went 3-0 up in the 54th minute. Rob Holding grabbed a late consolation goal before Haaland finished the game off in style to by grabbing his 50th goal for the sky blues.
City are now perched atop the table and will surely emerge victorious at the season's close.
All photos sourced from Google. All videos sourced from Youtube.
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Created with an image by satit - "Wooden floor or plank on sand beach in summer. For product display.Calm Sea and Blue Sky Background."