Hellfire Duathlon 11th August 2010

tunguska

Looks good.............


http://hellfire.wicklowadventurerace.com/

Slogger Jogger

Indeed it does. Organised by the same people behind the Wicklow Adventure Race series who always do a fine job and somehow almost magically seem to get the right weather.

christeb

Looks good indeed, I like the satanic theme too......Weds not great for me to get out to the sticks though, I'll have to give it a miss

ecoli

Great course i do my hill training up round there not too bad once you get past the initial climb from the start line but that climb itself will add character:p

ThisRegard

3 stars (average)

christeb wrote: »

Weds not great for me to get out to the sticks though, I'll have to give it a miss

The Hellfire is hardly the sticks, it's only minutes from the Tallaght M50 junction.

Looking forward to it myself, a nice warm up for Gaelforce.

Slogger Jogger

ecoli wrote: »

Great course i do my hill training up round there not too bad once you get past the initial climb from the start line but that climb itself will add character:p

You should have had a go at the sugarloaf so last night. Character times 2

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

I'm up for this one. Practice for the next WAR which I hear is pretty bad. Or good, depending. How does this route rate compared to the ones in war and roar?

tunguska

christeb wrote: »

Looks good indeed, I like the satanic theme too......Weds not great for me to get out to the sticks though, I'll have to give it a miss

What? C'mon man you cant miss this, it'll be a good one no doubt about it. Plus I personally guarantee good weather on the night:)

healthygirl

Ah feck it I'm in, nice little run in for Gaelforce the following week eh!

Enduro

Oryx wrote: »

I'm up for this one. Practice for the next WAR which I hear is pretty bad. Or good, depending. How does this route rate compared to the ones in war and roar?

Its significantly shorter and easier (i.e. much less technical running).

W.B. Yeats

Have never done any adventure or tri races but am thinking about this as its only up the road from me.
Am currently running about 4/5 times a week- doing the Adidas 5 mile this weekend

I was wondering about doing this? How much of a killer is the run? I know the hell fire and it seems to be from the car park up the main path and then take the right turn up the steep path to the "front" of the hellfire. Where does the bike start then? Is it back down to the car park again?

The bike is only 17km so about 10.5miles- problem here, I don't have a bike, have no experience and no cycling training. I could sort myself out with a bike I suppose quickly enough but don't know what I should buy?

Big issue would be making the transition to running up a hill, then cycling on top of that and then running again.

Can I do this I suppose is the real question off a semi fit running start

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

W.B. Yeats, get a bike asap, get a few rides in. Youll manage it ok, Id say.

healthygirl

I've just signed up for this (Intermediate), what sort of inclines can I expect on both the runs and cycle??

BeepBeep67

Your bikes must be left at transition before 6:45pm on race night. All competitors will be wearing a race number for the 2010 event. This will help you and us at the transitions. Race numbers will be issued at race registration with your pack and your electronic timing. Your bike will be safe and secure in transition. You will need to pick up your bike from the main transition area at Glendalough by 9:30pm, so that we can tidy up before it gets dark!!!

I assume that's a typo or an extreme warm down!

Wonkagirl

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

,
Can I do this I suppose is the real question off a semi fit running start

Definitely! there'll be plenty of others (myself included) in the same boat on the day. I dont plan on running any of the steep hills, but walking them as quickly as i can, and picking up speed on the flat/downhill.. I'm just using it as a training exercise, i'm certainly not in it to win it or anything like it!

Sign up- it'll give you something to work towards in the next 2-3 weeks anyway if nothing else.

healthygirl

Starting to cack myself at the thoughts of this! Been training for gaelforce and want to use this as a taster however its my first ever event and i dont know what to expect so am quite nervous as a result! Ive signed up for intermediate (based on the website recommendations) as I've a decent level of fitness however I was cycling thru phoenix park last nite and seen the duathlon event - there were some serious looking athletes and bikes there, I dont want to feel like a doofus next week!!

Help!!

tunguska

healthygirl wrote: »

Starting to cack myself at the thoughts of this! Been training for gaelforce and want to use this as a taster however its my first ever event and i dont know what to expect so am quite nervous as a result! Ive signed up for intermediate (based on the website recommendations) as I've a decent level of fitness however I was cycling thru phoenix park last nite and seen the duathlon event - there were some serious looking athletes and bikes there, I dont want to feel like a doofus next week!!

Help!!

Appearances can be very deceptive, so do not let what you see put you off or make you feel insecure. I remember when I did my first Triathlon, myself and my mate arrived at the event car park and I was really intimidated by what I saw. There were lads who looked the part, they looked like serious athletes. I said to my mate: Feck that, we're in trouble here today, we're gonna get skinned alive by these guys. But I just put the head down and did my best. And you know what, the lads who I had seen in the car park who looked the part, they werent as good as I had imagined. It turned out that I beat them. Moral of the story: Dont mind anybody else. Put the blinkers on and do your own thing. Dont doubt yourself.

ThisRegard

3 stars (average)

healthygirl wrote: »

there were some serious looking athletes and bikes there, I dont want to feel like a doofus next week!!

Help!!

As Tunguska said, appearances can be deceptive, as you do more and more of these type things you'll spot these people and realise many of them are just that, looking the part. Why tear drop helmets were needed at an event like last night I don't know.

It's the scruffy looking lads who look like they dress in the dark that you need to watch out for

Wonkagirl

healthygirl wrote: »

Starting to cack myself at the thoughts of this! Been training for gaelforce and want to use this as a taster however its my first ever event and i dont know what to expect so am quite nervous as a result! Ive signed up for intermediate (based on the website recommendations) as I've a decent level of fitness however I was cycling thru phoenix park last nite and seen the duathlon event - there were some serious looking athletes and bikes there, I dont want to feel like a doofus next week!!

Help!!

Ul be grand! my first ever race was GFW last yr- i just did my own thing and got over the finish line with a smile on my face which is the main thing

lots of beginners in this race- if uv put in the training, ul be way ahead of most of them. i know a few people who have done ZERO training who are doing hellfire with a view to kicking off their training for the achill roar/wicklow adventure race.. so there'll be a lot of slowies..

also- the duathlon in the phoenix pk is more of a tri-crowd- they tend to be a bit more serious (looking anyway!) than the adventure race crowd.

i'm nervous about hellfire too- but i get nervous before most races (of which i have only done about 4!!!!!!!)

healthygirl

Thanks guys, feel a lot better now!
Just looked at the course map, is it 1 lap of the run, 2 laps of the cycle route and finally another lap of the run??

healthygirl

one other thing (which is fairly important) - how in the name of jaysus do u get to the hellfire club!!! I'm always gettin lost there!

Can anyone give me good directions from newlands x:)

tunguska

healthygirl wrote: »

one other thing (which is fairly important) - how in the name of jaysus do u get to the hellfire club!!! I'm always gettin lost there!

Can anyone give me good directions from newlands x:)

Ok when you get to newlands cross turn onto the belgard road. Head straight up the belgard road, all the way until you literally come to the end of it. You'll be at a junction then, so you turn left on to the tallaght bypass and when you come to the first set of lights go right. Go straight ahead and you'll arrive at an intersection, go straight through but take the first right turn into ballycragh. You'll hit a painted roundabout, go right at this. Then the next left. Go straight ahead again for about 1km where you'll come to another roundabout, go right again and straight ahead. Then go left when you get to the fork in the road(you should have the entrance to a retreat centre in front of you at this point). Go straight then you'll go up a steep hill and hit another fork, go right, then straight ahead for about 800meters, the hellfire will be on your right hand side.

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

tunguska wrote: »

Ok when you get to newlands cross turn onto the belgard road. Head straight up the belgard road, all the way until you literally come to the end of it. You'll be at a junction then, so you turn left on to the tallaght bypass and when you come to the first set of lights go right. Go straight ahead and you'll arrive at an intersection, go straight through but take the first right turn into ballycragh. You'll hit a painted roundabout, go right at this. Then the next left. Go straight ahead again for about 1km where you'll come to another roundabout, go right again and straight ahead. Then go left when you get to the fork in the road(you should have the entrance to a retreat centre in front of you at this point). Go straight then you'll go up a steep hill and hit another fork, go left and then the hellfire will be on your right hand side.

Those instructions sound like a challenge in themselves.

Wonkagirl

The race will be a doddle after the trauma of finding the starting line!

as an aside- the 4cast is for it to be scorchers.com next week. Prehydration will be crucial!

nerraw1111

Tunguska's directions are bang on.

It might be of help if you know where the Merry Ploughboy pub is?

It's easy from there. Just two turns.

With the pub on your left, take the first right after the pub on to Venus road. This is signposted.

Then drive straight till you reach a junction and turn left. Keep driving and you'll be there in 2 mins or less.

Wonkagirl

Just an FYI- ireland play argentina in lansdowne road on wednesday nite- so the area is to be avoided for anyone en route to hellfire from that direction... last wed was a total nitemare when man-u were in town, was taking upwards of 45mins to get through ballsbridge.

4cast is pretty manky for wed eve- lots of rain forecast but it looks light..

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

Im not from Dublin, Ill be coming up the M50. Would I be affected? Sorry for the culchie ignorance.

Woddle

Oryx wrote: »

Im not from Dublin, Ill be coming up the M50. Would I be affected? Sorry for the culchie ignorance.

No not at all, stay on M50 till the Firhouse exit. Might come up and watch given that its only up the road from me.

Woddle

Also just to let people know that the bottom of Stolking lane is closed (where stolking lane and scholarstown rd meet)

pc11

Anyone know if I can still enter? I went to enter at lunch time today and it had closed which took me by surprise! Can I enter on the night?

<mod snip>

healthygirl

Is it overkill/necessary to use a Camelbak for this event

Wonkagirl

healthygirl wrote: »

Is it overkill/necessary to use a Camelbak for this event

yes- in a word! you can put a bottle on your bike?

only reason to use camelbak woudl be to prepare for gaelforce- ie to get used to running with it on your back

definitely overkill, tho

Jk_Eire

pc11 wrote: »

Anyone know if I can still enter? I went to enter at lunch time today and it had closed which took me by surprise! Can I enter on the night?

<mod snip>

Would like to know this too.

ThisRegard

3 stars (average)

Everyone all sorted for this evening ? For some reason I'm just not in the zone today, I need a bit of traditional triathlete/hill runner rivalry going on to get me motivated !

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

I'm far too calm, so I know I'm forgetting something.

Looking forward to this, weather is great where I am, so I hope its the same for the race later!

healthygirl

Getting the jitters to be honest! What's the story with parking, I know the hellfire and viewpoint car parks will be open but surely ther'll be more cars than spaces. Do i need to arrive early??
(Sorry it's my first ever race and I'm new to this!):rolleyes:

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

healthygirl wrote: »

Getting the jitters to be honest! What's the story with parking, I know the hellfire and viewpoint car parks will be open but surely ther'll be more cars than spaces. Do i need to arrive early??
(Sorry it's my first ever race and I'm new to this!):rolleyes:

I dont know the area at all, but two car parks are listed, the one at the start will be closed till race end, which is something to know if you finish fast and want to get home.

ThisRegard

3 stars (average)

Oryx wrote: »

Looking forward to this, weather is great where I am, so I hope its the same for the race later!

Just rained here on the north side of Dublin, hopefully it stays dry on the mountains. I like running in the wet but cornering at speed on a greasy corner on the bike is not something I relish.

Ha ha, I'm ever the optimist, cornering at speed

Re. the parking, as Oryx mentions there's 2 car parks, http://www.dublintri.com/entries/Hellfire-briefing.pdf

I've been up there a million times but not recently and for some reason I have a complete mental block on remembering the roads up that way.

Wonkagirl

Raining in ballsbridge too, 4cast not great thb. Migget CENTRAL when it rains, so beware

healthygirl, best of luck! make sure you get a banana/energy bar into u before starting, about an hour before or so.

GFW 09 was my first ever race and i was CRAPPING it. doubt ill be any better this yr- but it's all good! just remember to breathe.. and enjoy it. and dont be afraid of it- what's the worst that can happen!! there are loads of beginners in this if you look at the list, so it's a good one to start off with. A friend of mine is doing it who only got her bike from the bike to work scheme last weekend, she doesnt even know how to use the gears properly yet !

Woddle

I'm near to it and there was light rain an hour or so ago and although not raining now it's looking very likely.

Raining now

healthygirl

Wonkagirl wrote: »

Raining in ballsbridge too, 4cast not great thb. Migget CENTRAL when it rains, so beware

healthygirl, best of luck! make sure you get a banana/energy bar into u before starting, about an hour before or so.

GFW 09 was my first ever race and i was CRAPPING it. doubt ill be any better this yr- but it's all good! just remember to breathe.. and enjoy it. and dont be afraid of it- what's the worst that can happen!! there are loads of beginners in this if you look at the list, so it's a good one to start off with. A friend of mine is doing it who only got her bike from the bike to work scheme last weekend, she doesnt even know how to use the gears properly yet !

Thanks wonkagirl, only thing is I've signed up for intermediate, why didn't I do beginner!!!

Wonkagirl

healthygirl wrote: »

Thanks wonkagirl, only thing is I've signed up for intermediate, why didn't I do beginner!!!

makes absolutely no difference at all to be honest. the girl i'm doing gaelforce with is in the intermediate wave, she's pretty much a beginner if you ask me. the furthest she has been running in training is 5km, and pretty slowly at that, 33 mins or something. my friend who doesnt know how to work her bike gears is in the intermediate wave too. i think when they signed up there was only the 1 wave

looking fwd to hearing how you get on tomorrow!

trinewbie

Looking forward to this now, the bit of rain is going to make thing errr intersting. Tough Tough course,for a reasonably short race... Its going to be fast and furious from the gun: the race can be won or lost in the first ten minutes IMO, if you push if too hard on either of the climbs on the first lap it could well spell disaster....:eek:

earsandasmile

Just in from this. Had a great time. The one shower of rain we got was almost refreshing. Well done to the organisers.
Tough course. Anybody venture any comparisons to Gael Force?

Daily Bread

GF is largely over wet boggy ground, don't bother trying to keep your feet dry. Cycle has shorter sharper climbs and of course longer overall. As for CP, imagine how tired you felt just after finishing Hellfire, would you then fancy climbing a 700m+ mountain? Thats what you need to be prepared to do in GF. Don't let that put you off, but you did ask for a comparison.

ThisRegard

3 stars (average)

Tough course and challenging alright but I ultimately enjoyed it. Managed to make a lot of time on the downhills on both the running and cycling but got caught by a few people on that bloody long drag to the transition on the first lap. Made the positions again on the second lap and I think most people were knackered by then as things had settled down a lot. Second run was more a walk on the first steep bit until I got my running legs back again. Finished in 1.27 so I think I'm happy enough with that until I see the complete list of finishing times ! Well done those lads in finishing in just over an hour.

How did all you guys do ?

healthygirl

Really enjoyed this event however it was my first ever race so I've nothing to compare it too. Found the hills on the cycling stage quite tough but managed to keep pedalling, what I would've done for a couple of extra gears. Did it in 1:40 so happy enough. Very friendly crowd and well organised (much better organised than the karate comps I'm used to), think I've caught the bug now, looking forward to gaelforce (Except the Croagh Patrick bit!)

Bit of grub now then a nice warm bed, I am wrecked!:D

Oryx

2 stars (poor)

Bit of a disaster for me, mechanical failure and tired legs dont make for a good race. But the course was a good challenge and Im glad I finally got to see the hellfire club.

X files

4 stars (good)

Fab race on a tough course well done to the organisers and competitors.
2nd run hard work
Sea swimming next before a couple of flatter triathlons in September they dont seem as hard as this.:)

Rinker

Really enjoyed this event. Made up a lot of places on the downhill runs each time but found the 1st climb on the bike particularly difficult. The rain was really welcome and didn't seem to make conditions too slippy. Took me just over 1.20 to complete which was a top 30 finish. Delighted with that. It was really impressive how quickly the elites covered such hilly ground. Hats off to them, it must take huge effort.

nerraw1111

Great race although not sure I can say I enjoyed any of it. Probably went off too fast on the first Hellfire run. The cycle was ok, the first lap was tough but got into a nice rythm and I think my second lap was quicker. Made some places up on the descents and was feeling a lot better going into the second run than I did starting.

Legs felt horrible but got them going eventually and started to chase down some people. Caught a few on the climb as the trail was now a bit slippy and those in asics etc seems to be struggling. Caught a few more on the descents as again those not in trail runners were alot more cautious.

The last steep descent was a bit hairy as it was now getting dark. Finished strongly in 1 hr 27 for a top 50 finish and was 27th overall for the last run which goes to show the advantage of trail shoes.

The stats make for fascinating. 8th quickest in transition lol.