Dublin Mountain Plod - 18th July.

Slogger Jogger

4 stars (good)

earlyevening wrote: »

I might be. Got to find out if anything else has been arranged for me first

I'd join ye but imra's Fraughen Rock Glen (to Lug) is calling on Sunday.

donothoponpop

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

I'd join ye but imra's Fraughen Rock Glen (to Lug) is calling on Sunday.

Ditto. Sorry KC, think I told you I'd be on for the recce, but FRG takes precedence. Gotta recce it during the week, too.

Excuseless

The Plod route is a common Sun Morn run for a few of us - meeting at Car Park beside motorway at 10 so if you have no takers KC then turn up there and there wil prob be somone about but afraid I won't be there this Sun.

Fairly sure what Menoscemo describes below is the right route through Masseys but on the day it will be marked and once you find your way up to the track on the left of the stream to cross the stiles on the Dublin Mountains Way (DMW lettering on the posts) you will be grand!

Krusty_Clown

Excuseless wrote: »

The Plod route is a common Sun Morn run for a few of us - meeting at Car Park beside motorway at 10 so if you have no takers KC then turn up there and there wil prob be somone about but afraid I won't be there this Sun.

Fairly sure what Menoscemo describes below is the right route through Masseys but on the day it will be marked and once you find your way up to the track on the left of the stream to cross the stiles on the Dublin Mountains Way (DMW lettering on the posts) you will be grand!

Thanks for the tips Excuseless. Are you guys all from the same club? I saw some healthy young bucks coming back from that direction, the first time I did a 'recce (hiking with some friends).

By the process of elimination (I will have run every single path through Massey's!) I expect to know the right way before the race. I have gone wrong on each instance, by following the picnic area signs. Shark Tale: It's no big deal, as you just hop onto the road (as you suggested) and follow the road (extra bit of climb), before taking a left turn to re-join the correct path.

EarlyEvening: Let me know if anything has been arranged for you!, and I'll postpone my 'recce' for another time. Off to Enniscorthy the following weekend for some strawberries and balloons , but could do the first weekend in July.

Might bring the kids for a walk around Massey's in the mean-time, and try and find the right bloody route. It's amazing I didn't get lost on the WW relay!

Excuseless

Some from Rathfarnham AC but generally locally based hill running sorts KC.

Not sure we all qualify on the "healthy young bucks" description but it might have been some day PeterX, Bazman n co were out

Anyone looking to be certain of the route can help out with the marking which I have been volunteered to co-ordinate for IMRA - might be a bit difficult for me to do on the day as I plan to be doing the Rás na Ríocht Adv Race in Kerry that weekend but if anyone can help out with a marking a section then please PM me and I can go through the detail with you.
We will provide signs, tape, etc

earlyevening

4 stars (good)

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Thanks for the tips Excuseless. Are you guys all from the same club? I saw some healthy young bucks coming back from that direction, the first time I did a 'recce (hiking with some friends).

By the process of elimination (I will have run every single path through Massey's!) I expect to know the right way before the race. I have gone wrong on each instance, by following the picnic area signs. Shark Tale: It's no big deal, as you just hop onto the road (as you suggested) and follow the road (extra bit of climb), before taking a left turn to re-join the correct path.

EarlyEvening: Let me know if anything has been arranged for you!, and I'll postpone my 'recce' for another time. Off to Enniscorthy the following weekend for some strawberries and balloons , but could do the first weekend in July.

Might bring the kids for a walk around Massey's in the mean-time, and try and find the right bloody route. It's amazing I didn't get lost on the WW relay!

Sunday morn is fine for me. Let me know what time and where and I'll be there.

Krusty_Clown

Cool. 11am in the back car-park at Marlay? Link here.

earlyevening

4 stars (good)

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Cool. 11am in the back car-park at Marlay? Link here.

Gotcha. See ya there.

Aimman

Any chance of recording the route on a Garmin watch and giving us a link here? I havent use the feature before, but I think it can be uploaded to another watch as a course so it can be used to make sure you dont take a wrong turn. I'd love to have a crack at it this weekend, but I'll be out of the country for the new couple of weekends. I'd give it a try when I get back, one i have the route.

SharkTale

4 stars (good)

Just to let you know that I followed the advice on this thread and finally made it out of Massey Estate to the road. ( I hope this was the official route for the plod)

Just for the record:
To enter Massey estate from Cruagh lane, you come in main entrance at black and yellow car barrier,
Continue up the trail follow the signs pointing to exit,
You come to another car barrier, which you go through,
Trail sweeps around to right and joins another main trail at a T junction ( if there are such things in the woods?) and you follow this new trail to the left,
You pass a sign for picnic area on your right, you keep left here and enjoy the slight decline on the trail,
Continue on this trail, passing over two stone bridges,
At the 2nd bridge you turn immediately right and start to climb,
Follow this trail all the way keeping the stream on your right and the fence & day light on your left,
Steep climb all the way on this route, narrow in places and also gets muddy,
On this trail you will encounter two wire fences which you will need to use the steps provided to climb over,
Trail gets very narrow once you climb over the last wire fence and you will climb over a dead tree on this route too which looks like a 20 foot triangle in the sky :eek:
Continue all the way on the trail and you will start to hear the cars on the main road, keep climbing and you will see a Wicklow way sign, follow sign and leave estate by spring loaded gate.
Cross road and follow Wicklow way signs in to Cruagh Wood.

Hope this is right for the Dublin Plod, please change if wrong

menoscemo

^^^^^
That sounds about what I remember. I was convinced we were lost when having to climb over several obstacles but thanks to gerard65 and his inbuilt compass, we were on the right track.

It really is a steep and difficult climb through the last part of the wood. I reckon most people will be walking up that. I was maxing out my HR just to maintain a bit of a Jog.

Antigrav

Thanks SharkTale. Good description of route through Massy's. We (Excuseless) may mark it slightly differently for the day, but that is basically it.

Where most go wrong is turning up to the right too soon. As you say, keep the Picnic sign on your right and go over two bridges before turning right up the hill along the fence line.

Hopefully those trees that are leaning on each other will stay right where they are

Krusty_Clown

Ah well, see... I never even knew there were bridges! All will be rectified this weekend on attempt #3.

Mullaghteelin

4 stars (good)

I ran the entire route Sat morning before last, primarily to familiarize myself with Masseys. I think I ended up just missing the correct right turn at the higher end of Masseys, and had to double back slightly, though it couldnt have made much difference.
Its certainly a real maze of tracks and trails at that spot, some running parallel to each other, occasionally intersecting. I found myself a little confused despite paying constant attention to the new Dublin Mountains map by EastWest Mapping, which I had with me.

I also noticed that one of the "you are here" points on one of the notice-board maps was quite obviously marked in the wrong place. :rolleyes:
Good thing I knew better, or it would have sent me in the wrong direction altogether.:D

I certainly wasn't expecting the series of stiles and fences in quick succession.

Krusty_Clown

Finally managed to get the right route through Masseys and I'm glad to say it's a little easier than taking the road diversion (though the stiles are a bit of a pain inthe a$$). Hopefully it won't be as sunny as this on race day. Myself and EarlyEvening were remarking that the top of Tibradden has a lot in common with trail running in California at the moment. Here's the route and elevation profile. Ignore the dodgy HRM readings, I don't reall have a heart rate max of 231. :rolleyes:

Peterx

Here's the route again
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/37833788

Unbelievable, literally the day I go out to map the route Mr. Krusty goes and makes me redundant.
I had no HRM so you ignore my top speed instead:)

Krusty_Clown

Peterx wrote: »

Here's the route again
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/37833788

Unbelievable, literally the day I go out to map the route Mr. Krusty goes and makes me redundant.
I had no HRM so you ignore my top speed instead:)

Phew, I was going to say that you were phenomenally quick, but you skipped the Marlay Park sections.
*Edit*: Ahh, you did it on a bike! Tough bike route. It'd be quicker on foot!

nerraw1111

4 stars (good)

Cheers for the garmin routes lads.

Silly question but how tough is this course? I presume 'plod' could be slightly misleading!

Would it be comparable to say running two laps of the Tibradden IMRA course in terms of effort and elevation?

Krusty_Clown

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Cheers for the garmin routes lads.

Silly question but how tough is this course? I presume 'plod' could be slightly misleading!

Would it be comparable to say running two laps of the Tibradden IMRA course in terms of effort and elevation?

Probably similar to doing Tibradden twice (though I missed the race this year), albeit with a bigger climb beforehand, and a longer descent afterwards.

Might be doing another 'recce the weekend after this one if anyone's interested.

menoscemo

Myself and Gerard65 will be recceing this on saturday morning if anyone wants to join un. (Krusty you can join us if you want but you have to promise to go very slow )

Krusty_Clown

LOL. I'm not fast. Wait till you see the real runners (mountain men and road runners) scooting off at the start of the race!
I have a PMP run on Sunday, so won't make it this weekend. Enjoy!

gerard65

4 stars (good)

We're meeting up in the morning at 9:30am in the top carpark (M50 side) in Marley Park to do a recce. Taking it easy, just finding our way around in prep for the race. All are welcome to join us.

gerard65

4 stars (good)

Had a go this morning with RQ and menopause. We went off course a couple of times but eventually found our way. Great run, enjoyed getting away from the laps of the parks and roads. I noticed the bit crossing the Tibradden mountain is a bit exposed, could be an issue if the weather turns bad on the day. Menopause had some health and safety 'issues' with the course, apparently stones sticking out of the trails could be life treatening, he shut up when we passed a group of 'mature' ladies powering their way up the mountain. Unfortunely RQ slipped and cut her shin, but it would take more than a bloody cut the stop RQ (we'd have to get the mountain rescue out if it had been menopause).
Should be a very enjoyable race.

ocnoc

gerard65 wrote: »

I noticed the bit crossing the Tibradden mountain is a bit exposed, could be an issue if the weather turns bad on the day.

Menopause had some health and safety 'issues' with the course, apparently stones sticking out of the trails could be life treatening

Should be a very enjoyable race.

Em... its a mountain race! Exposure is when you look left and right and realise if you slip your dead such as The Ridge in the Reeks

I'm assuming the safety issues bit was a joke...

RacoonQueen

gerard65 wrote: »

Had a go this morning with RQ and menopause. We went off course a couple of times but eventually found our way. Great run, enjoyed getting away from the laps of the parks and roads. I noticed the bit crossing the Tibradden mountain is a bit exposed, could be an issue if the weather turns bad on the day. Menopause had some health and safety 'issues' with the course, apparently stones sticking out of the trails could be life treatening, he shut up when we passed a group of 'mature' ladies powering their way up the mountain. Unfortunely RQ slipped and cut her shin, but it would take more than a bloody cut the stop RQ (we'd have to get the mountain rescue out if it had been menopause).
Should be a very enjoyable race.

The menopause name will never stop now will it? :pac:

gerard65

4 stars (good)

ocnoc wrote: »

I'm assuming the safety issues bit was a joke...

No joke, you would have to been there to hear the big girls blouse.

copacetic

gerard65 wrote: »

Had a go this morning with RQ and menopause. We went off course a couple of times but eventually found our way. Great run, enjoyed getting away from the laps of the parks and roads. I noticed the bit crossing the Tibradden mountain is a bit exposed, could be an issue if the weather turns bad on the day. Menopause had some health and safety 'issues' with the course, apparently stones sticking out of the trails could be life treatening, he shut up when we passed a group of 'mature' ladies powering their way up the mountain. Unfortunely RQ slipped and cut her shin, but it would take more than a bloody cut the stop RQ (we'd have to get the mountain rescue out if it had been menopause).
Should be a very enjoyable race.

how long did it take ye to get around? I may have heard but not seen you this morning going up through Massys. Sounded like a few runners discussing what pace they were doing heading up somwhere alongside the stream toward the styles. 11.30 pace was the loudly discussed speed! (..it was a steepish bit)

gerard65

4 stars (good)

copacetic wrote: »

how long did it take ye to get around? I may have heard but not seen you this morning going up through Massys. Sounded like a few runners discussing what pace they were doing heading up somwhere alongside the stream toward the styles. 11.30 pace was the loudly discussed speed! (..it was a steepish bit)

We left Marley about 9:30 so we would have reached that spot about 10ish, and yes we were loudly discussing the pace:). I think it took us about 2hrs 20mins in all (we went off course a couple of times and had to double back).

menoscemo

gerard65 wrote: »

Had a go this morning with RQ and menopause. We went off course a couple of times but eventually found our way. Great run, enjoyed getting away from the laps of the parks and roads. I noticed the bit crossing the Tibradden mountain is a bit exposed, could be an issue if the weather turns bad on the day. Menopause had some health and safety 'issues' with the course, apparently stones sticking out of the trails could be life treatening, he shut up when we passed a group of 'mature' ladies powering their way up the mountain. Unfortunely RQ slipped and cut her shin, but it would take more than a bloody cut the stop RQ (we'd have to get the mountain rescue out if it had been menopause).
Should be a very enjoyable race.

you w******

K09

Hi all,

This sounds like an excellent route. I am just back training after injury and want to do a good testing run.
I would like to run this route some evening. Is the route all marked out or is it easy to get lost?
If it is easy to get lost could you recommend other routes?

Thanks!