Lough Cutra Castle-Olympic- Course Info

rooneyjm · 22-03-2014 11:59pm #1

Did anyone do this last year.

Website says the bike course is technical but doesn't elaborate. Hills, sharp turns?
The run route shows a 7k loop in orange on the web but any info on the other 3k. Any other info, flat, cross country?
Any suggestions for accommodation?
Anything else I should know about.

Cheers

pgibbo · 24-03-2014 10:06am

Previous years was more XC type run. Not sure if it's the same this year. AKW is planning a run down there soon so he can probably report back after that.

Not sure on the bike routes.

lizanne83 · 01-04-2014 11:44pm

Likewise; I'd love to know the route and suggestions for accommodation for Lough Cultra?

I'm also struggling to decide if doing Tri Athy (Olympic) only 6 days after Lough Cultra is wise.

Normally 6 days wouldn't be enough recovery between 2 Oly's of course but with them both being my first 2 races of the season I'm hoping that a good taper pre -Lough Cultra and taper for 5 days post -Lough Cultra will allow me to get through them both equally and not be race-exhausted so early in the season. Spacing them out better after Athy. Still risky perhaps?!?! :-/

sconhome · 02-04-2014 10:13am

The 7k loop is the route for the Gauntlet run. There is a smaller 5 k loop within that which will form the Olympic run course. I'll be taking groups out for some recce run's towards the end of April and early May, I'll post up when this is happening.

Also likely to cycle the bike course at some stage so will feed that back too.

lizanne83 · 02-04-2014 1:02pm

Is it Hilly AKW? Run/Cycle?
Thanks

sconhome · 02-04-2014 2:26pm

lizanne83 wrote: »

Is it Hilly AKW? Run/Cycle?
Thanks

Not sure yet of the run.

The Gauntlet bike course has 2 Cat 5 hills on it. AFAIK the Oly course rolls around in a nice big loop.

rodneyr1981 · 20-05-2014 10:24pm

AKW wrote: »

Not sure yet of the run.

The Gauntlet bike course has 2 Cat 5 hills on it. AFAIK the Oly course rolls around in a nice big loop.

Any body seen the run course? AKW?
With the rain expected to stay for another few days is the run course going to be a wash out? Think some of route is cross country ish? Stand to be corrected.

sconhome · 21-05-2014 9:05am

rodneyr1981 wrote: »

Any body seen the run course? AKW?
With the rain expected to stay for another few days is the run course going to be a wash out? Think some of route is cross country ish? Stand to be corrected.

Route is cross country without a shadow of a doubt.

Leaving transition you cut along the side of the lake, through the woods, across some paddock, through more woods with gravelled pathways, across another paddock, woods, gravel, woods (road for the 7k loop), paddock, the last stretch (~1k) of each loop is on the tarmac road through the courtyard, back through transition.

Finish is in front of the Castle which is all loose pebble.

Personally I'm planning on a trail shoe. There will be soggy bits but the gravelled access roads is a big improvement (I've been told) on previous years routes.

https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/shared/exercise.ftl?shareTag=a95906c1d10d53fe8aaf6e03e442e7f0

Green&Red · 21-05-2014 12:39pm

Any details on the cycle route?
The website is clear as mud

mossym · 21-05-2014 1:20pm

AKW wrote: »

Personally I'm planning on a trail shoe.]

you told me i didn't need my wellies, now i've no training done in them

sconhome · 21-05-2014 1:50pm

Green&Red wrote: »

Any details on the cycle route?
The website is clear as mud

Which route?

They are all on Mapmyrun and the Competitors guide for The Gauntlet gives a lot of details on that event:
http://s525775349.websitehome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LOUGH_CUTRA_GAUNTLET_FINAL20141.pdf

http://s525775349.websitehome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Course-maps-Lough-Cutra-Castle-cycle-route.pdf

I cycled the Olympic / Sprint course recently and it is a nice route with a few challenges in it. Double loop for the Oly.

sconhome · 21-05-2014 1:51pm

mossym wrote: »

you told me i didn't need my wellies, now i've no training done in them

You won't need wellies with the new trail shoes you'll be buying at the weekend

Green&Red · 21-05-2014 2:15pm

AKW wrote: »

Which route?

http://s525775349.websitehome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Course-maps-Lough-Cutra-Castle-cycle-route.pdf

It was this map that confused the sh*t out of me. I'm doing the super sprint/prendergast

sconhome · 21-05-2014 3:10pm

Green&Red wrote: »

I'm doing the super sprint/prendergast

You're doing x2 laps of that starting at the Castle.

The numbers are actually marshal positions which I spent the first 5 mins looking at the map trying to figure out what unit of measure was being used

mossym · 21-05-2014 3:27pm

AKW wrote: »

You won't need wellies with the new trail shoes you'll be buying at the weekend

ah i'm sure the ones i have already will do...:)

Green&Red · 21-05-2014 3:29pm

Actually AKW what time do u close saturday?

sconhome · 21-05-2014 3:45pm

Green&Red wrote: »

Actually AKW what time do u close saturday?

5pm but will be down at LC with a Tardis / Van load of stuff. If stuck for anything let me or the shop know.

Green&Red · 21-05-2014 3:51pm

Looking for new racers, if i'm in Galway on time saturday evening I'll call in

BTH · 21-05-2014 10:54pm

How did I let AKW talk me into this at the last minute.

What's the, eh, other bike route and run route like?

sconhome · 22-05-2014 10:06am

BTH wrote: »

How did I let AKW talk me into this at the last minute.

What's the, eh, other bike route and run route like?

It's lovely

All I did was plant the seed and let triathlete nature take over.

Knew SuperSprint was not in your bag

mossym · 22-05-2014 10:07am

showdown in the half distance. i know who my money isn't on (that'll get you all moving..:) )

BTH · 22-05-2014 11:48am

For the record, I intend on registering a lovely DNF. I'll be jogging the run until I start to struggle then I'll be ducking out. I don't have the training done to race this all the way and I don't want to jeopardise the next 2 weeks training. Once I struggle to run 4:40-50min/km comfortably and easy (and that will happen) I'll be steppin off course.

Green&Red · 22-05-2014 12:09pm

AKW wrote: »

You're doing x2 laps of that starting at the Castle.

The numbers are actually marshal positions which I spent the first 5 mins looking at the map trying to figure out what unit of measure was being used

That is literally one of the daftest things I've seen done for a race

BTH · 22-05-2014 1:34pm

BTH wrote: »

For the record, I intend on registering a lovely DNF. I'll be jogging the run until I start to struggle then I'll be ducking out. I don't have the training done to race this all the way and I don't want to jeopardise the next 2 weeks training. Once I struggle to run 4:40-50min/km comfortably and easy (and that will happen) I'll be steppin off course.

I also want the record to show that I'm doing a 140km cycle on Saturday. It'll be a big training weekend anyway

pgibbo · 22-05-2014 1:35pm

BTH wrote: »

I also want the record to show that I'm doing a 140km cycle on Saturday. It'll be a big training weekend anyway

You forgot to mention that there's a high tide this weekend and the stars aren't fully aligned, etc....... :pac:

BTH · 22-05-2014 1:44pm

pgibbo wrote: »

You forgot to mention that there's a high tide this weekend and the stars aren't fully aligned, etc....... :pac:

And the wife is away for the weekend, it's the only reason I can get away with both, but with the chef away it's not going to help fuel all this.

mossym · 22-05-2014 1:45pm

BTH wrote: »

And the wife is away for the weekend, it's the only reason I can get away with both, but with the chef away it's not going to help fuel all this.

PWEI · 23-05-2014 6:03pm

AKW wrote: »

Route is cross country without a shadow of a doubt.

Leaving transition you cut along the side of the lake, through the woods, across some paddock, through more woods with gravelled pathways, across another paddock, woods, gravel, woods (road for the 7k loop), paddock, the last stretch (~1k) of each loop is on the tarmac road through the courtyard, back through transition.

Finish is in front of the Castle which is all loose pebble.

Personally I'm planning on a trail shoe. There will be soggy bits but the gravelled access roads is a big improvement (I've been told) on previous years routes.

So race shoes are totally out then?
I'm doing the half & had planned to wear race shoes.

pgibbo · 23-05-2014 6:22pm

Best of luck this weekend folks :cool:

sconhome · 23-05-2014 6:47pm

PWEI wrote: »

So race shoes are totally out then?
I'm doing the half & had planned to wear race shoes.

Oh no go with the race shoes, I'll have nice shiny new ones in the Event Village afterwards

Joking aside, I don't think there is any gain in racing shoes down there. It will be mixed surfaces and wet, so I'd favour grip and comfort over lightness but whatever you are used to and bring spares just in case.

jamescantwell · 25-05-2014 3:23pm

just home from the lough cutra olympic distance..kinda came away with a negative view of it all tbh but thats just my opinion..the lake was lovely in fairness but the mount/dismount line was mental, some girl crashed into me as i dismounted and i lost my shoe! road surface was incredibly bad on the bike leg, potholes, grit etc, far too technical too, quite hard to get any decent speed up (for me anyway!!) maybe i should have done my research but pretty much the entire run was cross country inc running through long grass for a couple of km. i might be on my own here, but i reckon with it being a NS race and a qualifier for european and world tri c'ships, with the v high cost of entry, i thought the run course could have been much nicer too...safe to say i wont be doing it again and i wont be recommending it! (maybe the 4 hr round journey to waterford didnt help!)

Lough Cutra Castle-Olympic- Course Info

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