WAR: Wicklow Adventure Race Glenmalure

Mebuccaneers

Hi Guys
I just want to double check when we can drop our bikes off at Glenmalure, is it tonight or can we do it in the morning?? The thoughts of driving up from Naas to Glenmalure on a Friday evening......


At least the weather tomorrow is going to be fine with a bit of sunshine but a bit cool, nice.
Lets hope I can sleep tonight with the excitement....or is it worry about the run up that big looking hill...:eek:
Cheers
Paul

Slogger Jogger

Check out the WAR Glenmalure site. There was a final checklist which should tell you all you need to know.

Runforrestrun wrote: »

Hi Guys
I just want to double check when we can drop our bikes off at Glenmalure, is it tonight or can we do it in the morning?? The thoughts of driving up from Naas to Glenmalure on a Friday evening......


At least the weather tomorrow is going to be fine with a bit of sunshine but a bit cool, nice.
Lets hope I can sleep tonight with the excitement....or is it worry about the run up that big looking hill...:eek:
Cheers
Paul

Fi H

8.30 tomorrow morning i think for the bike drop

Gear Freak

4 stars (good)

The bike drop off is open at 8.30am. You can drop your bike off from 8.30 until the race briefing begins which is obviously earlier for the full route and later for the sport route.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

3 stars (average)

I assume you can leave a bag at the first bike transition area?

Git101

Weather was fantastic today. Interesting course. Second run was tough.
I would have liked the bike stages to be longer but that's just because I like the bike.
Really not sure if the river and hay bales added anything of value :rolleyes:.

ThisRegard

I enjoyed the river, as cold as it was, and after it the net and bales were a killer, made a challenging end to things. As the day wore on people were really struggling on them.

earsandasmile

Another great day. A big thanks to Brian, Paul and the rest of the team for what was a superbly organised race. I don't how they do it, but they seem to be in the good books with the weather gods!

My only complaint was that I missed the kayak section, but we all know what happened there and I felt it was well handled. The obstacle course was probably a bit of tokenism but I had a huge smile on my face jumping over those hay bales.:D

What's next? Anybody here heading to Skibereen for the South Coast Endurance?

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

3 stars (average)

Really enjoyable day out and that second mountain climb was very tough. Surprised to see the numbers so low i was expecting much higher.

nerraw1111

4 stars (good)

Great race today. Working the late shift afterwards, not so great.

Really liked today's sprint course. The mountain run was fantastic especially with the weather, some great views. The descent was a bit frantic with alot of people putting the hammer down. Almost took a wrong turn. I believe the leader of the sprint did and lost about 6 minutes.

Happy with the run and I think might've been around sixth leaving transition.

The bike was a disaster for me. While changing a flat tyre before the race, I somehow snapped off a tiny bit of the tyre lever. Had no time to see if it fell into the tyre. Just hoped it didn't.

Turns out it did and the unwelcome sound of the back wheel rumbling was soon heard. It was a slow puncture at this point so managed to pump it up and get going again for about 10 minutes before going flat. Did this a few times until the top of Shay Elliot when the wheel just wouldn't inflate. Figured there was no point in changing a tube at this point so just coasted in on the flat tyre.

I enjoyed the short obstacle course I must say.

Excellent event, happy with my performance but a disappointing result

Slogger Jogger

What a fab day. Long day on the summit of Croaghanmoira but great to see the efforts of everyone taking part. Well done all. A couple of samples. I'll try get the rest up somehow in the coming days.

2nd to the top of Croaghanmoira but 1st overall I believe...


Heading over the top and down the other side towards the cars on the horizon...


Robbie Bryson decends... with helicopter patroling the area...

ThisRegard

Last pic there is great, simple yet very dramatic.

Oryx

4 stars (good)

Tough event for me today but didnt expect anything less. Had the interesting experience of goin ass over tit down the shale descent of croaghanmoira. Proper war wounds to show for it too. But once again kudos to Brian and Paul for a challenging and flawless day.

Enduro

earsandasmile wrote: »

What's next? Anybody here heading to Skibereen for the South Coast Endurance?

If you want to try your hand at a real adventure race the Cooley Raid is on in two weekends time. A super race. There is a thread about it in this forum.

earsandasmile

Enduro wrote: »

If you want to try your hand at a real adventure race the Cooley Raid is on in two weekends time. A super race. There is a thread about it in this forum.

Cheers Enduro. Are you taking part?

I'm new to these type of events, but do I detect a bit of slagging over what constitutes a "real" adventure race?

I don't have a training partner or group that I could compete with so I guess that rules me out. I guess I'll just have to be more social at other events and try and find some other like minded sadists!;)

fluboy

I would like to also say thanks to the lads for organising the event yesterday.


I enjoyed it to a certain point. I found the second run or should I say hike to be too tough and dangerous. Very few people could run on that terrain. They need to change this run section or I, and from what I heard on the course yesterday, wont be back next year.

ThisRegard

Hi fluboy, at many of these events there are sections where few people can run, they can be very technical and challenging, for example not many people would manage to run the height of Croagh Patrick. Even at the IMRA races there's sections were the majority of people have to slow to a crawl.

Anyway, after Gaelforce and Achil expert in the last few weeks I tried to be nice to my body and did sports yesterday. Had a fun day, somehow managed to hurt one foot on the descent and as a result in compensating with my weight on the other leg got a massive blister on the other. Took it handier than normal from then on but had already made a few places so wasn't too bothered. A quick transition and then came the cycling, still my weak spot. Immediately lost a few places at the beginning but held my own once I got into a rhythm and caught a few again after the rough section. A group of us shot back to the finish, got out ahead of them into the icey river as they were changing their shoes, fell over the hay and over the finish line for a top 20 finish.

Great weather yesterday and the tea and sandwiches are always welcome at the end. Another well organised event by the lads and a good atmosphere around it too.

Oryx

4 stars (good)

fluboy wrote: »

I would like to also say thanks to the lads for organising the event yesterday.


I enjoyed it to a certain point. I found the second run or should I say hike to be too tough and dangerous. Very few people could run on that terrain. They need to change this run section or I, and from what I heard on the course yesterday, wont be back next year.

I would rather do a tough, and risky event like this, and know I beat it, than one where every step is safe. In something like this you do your own risk analysis and are responsible for your own safety, even though people are on hand to help, obviously. They may not suit everybody but I would not want the organisers to remove the risk and therefore, the real challenge. There are plenty of easier events out there for those who prefer that.

kerinsp

I dont want to see any more hills for a while. Tough race.
Are the results up anywhere?

Fi H

fluboy wrote: »

I enjoyed it to a certain point. I found the second run or should I say hike to be too tough and dangerous. Very few people could run on that terrain. They need to change this run section or I, and from what I heard on the course yesterday, wont be back next year.

I think if you are concerned like this then adventure racing is not for you. Thats the whole point in an adventure race, its a tough challenge!!

I have no problem at all with tough terrain that you have to go slowly on my only small niggle with the race was the barbed wire fence we had to cross. Put my hand down on the cover and ripped my finger, tried to get a leg over & cut my leg in a few places- finally got one leg over and then my shorts got caught - spent a few mins like that before having to stand on the fence to pull it down to actually get across. I know a good few people cut themselves there. I think they forgot that there are some short people like me I think where theres a genuine hazzard like this that it might be appropriate to put a couple of block so you could get across safely.

Other than that, although I found it very hard & will be definitely buying a road bike, it was a fantastic day out as per usual and very well organised!

Slogger Jogger

Results up now: here

Didn't take part yesterday as I was helping out. Felt the urge to cycle some of route today. Croaghanmoira was looking splendid. If you ran most of this yesterday fair play to you.

fluboy

Maybe your right, but you have missed my point. I thought that the terrain on the second run was impossible to run on. In War Glendalough, both runs were equally a tough but at least you could run if you were strong enough.

Just wondering did you go back and fix the fence or did you leave that to the poor farmer?

Slogger Jogger

fluboy wrote: »

I thought that the terrain on the second run was impossible to run on...

I disagree. Ran the 2nd route recently with DPA. Obviously it would be more difficult after a run and cycle but practice, practice.. Or use a deliberate walk run strategy to conserve energy.

fluboy

Doubt I will ever be that strong. One thing that you can’t take away from the course was the views of the Wicklow countryside. Unbeatable

Spudmonkey

4 stars (good)

Great event yesterday and weather to boot.

That second run was a killer, especially after the cycle just before. But it made the cycle home all the sweeter!!

Congrats to everyone that did it. I found it as tough as any I had done before!!

Fi H

Dont worry i didnt actually hurt the fence. I just stepped on the lowest bit to lower it about 2 inches so i could get over - it sprang back up straight away.

Photos are really good! There are some pretty hilarious ones of me trying to get over the bales of hay at the end! took a few attempts & a leg up in the end :D

Felt sorry for my friend who thought you HAD to swim the river so took off her shoes and socks and then had to swim it cause she couldnt stand

Thank god for the weather or i think we would have been in hypothermic weather. In the end I think icing the muscles helped out with the recovery

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

3 stars (average)

I look fairly happy for someone who is running down a mountain:rolleyes:

Slogger Jogger

@Jackyback. Where you the one with your bike helmet on near the top.. but didn't even notice you were wearing it

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

3 stars (average)

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

@Jackyback. Where you the one with your bike helmet on near the top.. but didn't even notice you were wearing it

Yes that was me totally oblivous to the fact I had it left on from the last transition, felt like a right numpty when someone told me on the summit.:rolleyes:

Oryx

4 stars (good)

Saw a few helmets hanging on a gate post halfway up the second run. You werent the only one to forget.