Brian Boru Tri Challenge 2010

themoney

Who has signed up for this? Little surprised there isn't any thread on this already.

I am going to join my brother and have a go at this race in August, assuming I can get my swimming up to grade.
I did the WAR Sport in April but this will be my first Triathlon.

From what I have heard it's one of the harder triathlon.
To quote someone’s blog "The toughest sprint-distance triathlon in the country"

http://brianborutrichallenge.com/drupal/

Any tips or training suggestions.
Looking forward to the challenge

catweazle

My favourite tri from last year but it was a real ball buster all right. I am hoping to do it again this year if the summer holidays allow it. I would recommend loads of brick running. The hardest part of this race is that no sooner than you are off the bike you are running up the side of a mountain, its the only 5k race that I have ever had to walk.

Its great when you finally get to the top though, beautiful views and an ultra fast descent where all you are trying to do is keep up with your feet.

The swim was nice, water was nice and clear and the floor was sandy

themoney

Hi catweazle.

Hopefully you were able to sign up the race.
I wanted to check if you or anybody out there has a more detailed maps of the cycle and run.

The website maps aren't great
http://brianborutrichallenge.com/site/content/course-maps

I am planning on heading down to my brother in Kilalloe a couple of time before the race to have a go at the run as everybody I have talked to says it's really nasty
Or if there is anybody down in Kilalloe that would allow me to tag along on a cycle/run that would be great.

Cheers

Amazotheamazing

Did it last year, am out of the country for it this year unfortunately. If you search for last year's thread on it you'll get some info on the course. It's pretty tough for a sprint (imo), but really great. The run is longer than 5k, maybe 6.5? Can't remember now.

There's one really tough hill about 3k into the cycle, be ready for it.

catweazle

Afraid not Money, didnt have the Garmin in those days. Its fairly easy to find the run route if I remember, it is between the hotel and the swim/transition area on the left, maybe 200 metres up from transition . A windy gravel track that is sharply uphill, run up this for about 4k and then you will veer sharply downhill for 3k before you end up on the road again

Ya its a tough uphill route alright, i broke after about 2k and walked up the rest of it and admired the view, great fun coming back down again, you are just trying not to fall over its so fast

Its looking good for me to enter again this year, summer holidays looking like they will be out of the way before it

shg101

I'm signed up for this.

Did a bit of a recce on the route last week.

My report: yes, it will be bloody hard. Swim should be fine though.

shg101

Had people ditched their TT bikes for a road bike last year because of the climbs?

Arcadia1

I'm looking to tag onto a team for the cycle part of the race.
If anybody knows of a team without a cyclist please message me.
I would advise that the tt bikes be left in the shed.
If the day is even slightly humid, cyclists will suffer on the climb in the early part of the cycle, and then on the drag back to Ogonnelloe.
The climb featured in the Tour Of Ireland a few years ago.

shg101

Arcadia1 wrote: »

I'm looking to tag onto a team for the cycle part of the race.
If anybody knows of a team without a cyclist please message me.
I would advise that the tt bikes be left in the shed.
If the day is even slightly humid, cyclists will suffer on the climb in the early part of the cycle, and then on the drag back to Ogonnelloe.
The climb featured in the Tour Of Ireland a few years ago.

Did the cycle route last week on my road bike. My TT bike is lighter, so am going to use it this week and see whether there is a time difference.

MarieC

so are ye saying to use a mountain bike or a triathlon/racer bike?

shg101

MarieC wrote: »

so are ye saying to use a mountain bike or a triathlon/racer bike?

I am distinguishing between the road bike/racer and the triathlon/time trial bike (which tends to not be great on the hills). The climb is tough, but not anywhere steep enough to require a mountain bike.

Average cycle time was about 48-50 mins last year. Of which the first 20 mins takes you up the hill and down the far side. The climb is about 3-4k.

Arcadia1

Average cycle time 48-50 minutes?
Did you calculate that from here?
http://brianborutrichallenge.com/site/sites/default/files/Brian%20Boru%20Final%20Results.pdf

shg101

Arcadia1 wrote: »

Average cycle time 48-50 minutes?
Did you calculate that from here?
http://brianborutrichallenge.com/site/sites/default/files/Brian%20Boru%20Final%20Results.pdf

Yes that's where I got it from. I looked around halfway down the field, about position 150, to see the times. So closer to median than average cycle time.

Do you think I over or underestimated?

Arcadia1

Yeah about right, looking at the times.
I even noticed that one bloke was disqualified for giving guff to a marshal.
Hilarious, would love to know what that was about.

Arcadia1

By the way, @Marie C, if you're a beginner or thereabouts use a normal road bike and make sure it's been fitted for you-local bike shop or somebody experienced can help you there.
Don't kill yourself up the first climb, find a rhythm and stick to it.Conserve energy for the long drag up to Ogonnelloe on the back route and then put the hammer down coming down the hill out of the village-you should have enough momentum to find a comfortable fast gear to take you into the finish.
Saw loads of people dying on that drag last year.

shg101

3 minutes quicker on my TT bike tonight than my road bike last week, so TT bike it is. Although the gear ratio on my TT bike meant the climb was tougher and I had to stand on the pedals quite a bit more. I'm only an average cyclist, if that, plus I'm 6'2" 190lbs so climbing will always be tough.

Ran what I think was the run route after that. Route is not marked yet, but I think I got it right. Horrendous, it is fair to say. 4k of relentless climbing, with many false summits. Downhill was also tough. Overall probably on a par with the Hell of the West 10k!

Hmmmmm, I wonder could the TT bike be costing me more on the run than it is gaining on the cycle?

Arcadia1

Put it this way, if you're standing, you're killing your rhythm.
I know that road, and you don't need to stand to get up it-I often do it from the steeper side and don't stand, and I'm an average cyclist also, perhaps a bit lighter than you.
Standing on the pedals, you're burning more energy-you sound like you know this in any case.
Met a group on Sunday heading up the climb, guy behind the leading pair was killing himself at the bottom, already out of the saddle, and in a too high gear for the length of the climb.
If I were you I'd know exactly what gear I'd need for that climb, in advance, and stick to it.
And stay in the saddle.
Doing that kind of sprint distance is really about knowing how much to squeeze out of the tube at any given time,allowing for the fact that you will have just enough left to squeeze out for the last half km.

shotgunmcos

Anyone doing this? Road Bike or Tri Bike?

shg101

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Anyone doing this? Road Bike or Tri Bike?

Been working hills for the last couple of weeks, tried the route the other day again on my (recently acquired) tri bike and was a lot more comfortable than the first time I tried it. So TT bike it is, but only made my mind up this week. Not easy though. But i'm only average.

shotgunmcos

One tough sprint!! Not for the faint hearted

pgibbo

Well done at the weekend MCOS. Nice to see another top 10 finish for you in the individual event.

I was delighted to see that Martin won. He's going well at the moment.

Perrin2040

Hey sorry for the week late post, Just wanted to say congratulations to everyone who completed this last week, especially my baby sister (making me look bad ).

I have nothing but respect for everybody who did this, and the event seemed like a bit of craic (you know aside from the gruelling exercise bit!) and everybody who was organising it seemed friendly. I was actually down in that area for the last week on holiday (figured i could help support my little sis) and i rented a bike from the planet-tri guys who sponsored the event (really helpful guys by the way, and the head guy was volunteering at the bike section helping people with their bikes), wanted to see what the cycle was like, and my god I am out of shape, so again to everyone who took part well done, have no idea how ye do it.

And again congrats S, you little maniac.

PWEI

Anybody doing this in a few weeks?
Just looking at the run courses for both the Sprint & the Olympic & the Olympic is actually an easier run course. The Sprint run is the same as last year; a 7K run through Ballycuggaran Woods with that killer climb in the first 3km. The Olympic run follows the R463 before turning off onto the same road
as the first part of the bike course so its a much flatter course.

Arcadia1

Would concur with Perrin on how well this event was run last year-apart from some awful marshalling on the cycle into Tuamgraney(which nearly caused a crash amongst the group I was in).
If anybody's looking for a cyclist for the relay give us a shout!

Nwm2

PWEI wrote: »

Anybody doing this in a few weeks?
Just looking at the run courses for both the Sprint & the Olympic & the Olympic is actually an easier run course. The Sprint run is the same as last year; a 7K run through Ballycuggaran Woods with that killer climb in the first 3km. The Olympic run follows the R463 before turning off onto the same road
as the first part of the bike course so its a much flatter course.

Yeah, I'm doing this. Picked the sprint as it's on the national series plus I want to better my time from last year. And the Olympic route wasn't available when I signed up. I remember it as a very tough course - harder to do than many Olympics.

gumbynation

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