IMRA season 2011

earlyevening

I echo all the positve comments regarding this race. I really enjoyed it. It was wonderfully brutal with its steep hills, gale force winds, knee deep ponds and the usual mud and slop.

I'd like to see it again.

Who is the Boards runner who came in 35th? I was running with you for a good bit I think and finished just behind you.

PS Thanks again Paul for the lend of your rain jacket.

+ well done again Jeff. All that running into work is really paying off.

Enduro

donothoponpop wrote: »

Well spotted, I had forgotten about that! I'll put a bottle of something on ice for you Eoin.:)

In fairness, it should go to someone who finished the race! I think that would be Keith, who just missed out on the prizes.

donothoponpop

Enduro wrote: »

In fairness, it should go to someone who finished the race! I think that would be Keith, who just missed out on the prizes.

Fair enough, thats decent of you. Rules is rules

In that case, from looking at Mick's photos, it should go to brand new Boards member (not yet updated by records secretary, but stated on reg form before the race) thepassanger, who looks to be just ahead of Keith to the gate. Well done Theo, I'll get a prize to you at an upcoming race! (along with the obligatory arm-twisting about the Wicklow Way Relay team:))

jeffontour

donothoponpop wrote: »

(along with the obligatory arm-twisting about the Wicklow Way Relay team:))

I for one am really looking forward to the relay this year, another sunny day like last year would be awesome.

iamjenko

earlyevening wrote: »

I echo all the positve comments regarding this race. I really enjoyed it. It was wonderfully brutal with its steep hills, gale force winds, knee deep ponds and the usual mud and slop.

I'd like to see it again.

Who is the Boards runner who came in 35th? I was running with you for a good bit I think and finished just behind you.

PS Thanks again Paul for the lend of your rain jacket.

+ well done again Jeff. All that running into work is really paying off.

That was myself EarlyEvening! Dont know if you were runnig with me tho, was by myself for most of the race once i got up the first "hill" to the ridge! Great day, well done to all involved!

RacoonQueen

Sorry to hear about the injury enduro. 6 weeks and you'll be tearing up the hills again!

ocnoc

The european/worlds is just a road race with a bit of climb.
Why the fu*k don't they just host it on the tramac road from Taylors to the Masts at 3rock!

For fu*k sake. Complete and utter Bull **** :mad:

Slogger Jogger

Surely theres plenty of uphill options and it doesn't need to be Wicklow/Dublin either. Galteemore, Croagh Patrick, lots of options in Kerry. Brandon would be class. Those genuinely interested would travel. Galtees would be a central-ish option.

ocnoc

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Surely theres plenty of uphill options and it doesn't need to be Wicklow/Dublin either. Galteemore, Croagh Patrick, lots of options in Kerry. Brandon would be class. Those genuinely interested would travel. Galtees would be a central-ish option.

All of them great climbs. Bradon is a bit of an epic...However, I can see the excuses already - too rough under foot. You might get injured....

Enduro

ocnoc wrote: »

The european/worlds is just a road race with a bit of climb.
Why the fu*k don't they just host it on the tramac road from Taylors to the Masts at 3rock!

For fu*k sake. Complete and utter Bull **** :mad:

I take you mean the trials, as opposed to the races themselves.

I agree with all your points on them. However they are designed to replicate the conditions of the races themselves as closely as possible. That makes perfect sense. Sadly, the world and Europeans do tend to be on relatively anemic courses, so the trials end up being amongst the least interesting races in the calendar.

In the last year or two the trials have been standalone races, and are no longer part of any championships. This ensures that the quality of the Irish and provincial championships are no longer being contaminated by having an unsuitably easy race as part of the series (and the results from the trials would be a nightmare to integrate into the league calculations, as they are usually run as several seperate races on seperate courses). That's enough to keep me happy.

thepassanger

ocnoc wrote: »

The european/worlds is just a road race with a bit of climb.
Why the fu*k don't they just host it on the tramac road from Taylors to the Masts at 3rock!

For fu*k sake. Complete and utter Bull **** :mad:

is this one of the races you are talking about? http://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/865/

Peterx

It's all about the racing really, you usually get one of the hardest fought races of the year at a trial race. To strive and all that..

To be all encompassing IMRA needs non technical fast races to compliment the muck and ****e ones.

The winter league has become more and more technical as the leinster league has gone the other way and both seem popular.

The longer more technical courses such as Avonbeg will be different races in the mist - they will be about survival and staying on course, not ripping it up.

ocnoc

Peterx wrote: »

The longer more technical courses such as Avonbeg will be different races in the mist - they will be about survival and staying on course, not ripping it up.

Maybe this is youthful enthusiasm, sheer cockiness, pure arrogance, slightly sleep deprived and been bitter over a pi*s poor XC season, but I beg to differ

Avonbeg in the mist...and torrential rain, zero vis, gael forced winds... Debating whether to bail at Table Track... I relish the thought.

Me! wrote:

The european/worlds is just a road race with a bit of climb.
Why the fu*k don't they just host it on the tramac road from Taylors to the Masts at 3rock!

For fu*k sake. Complete and utter Bull ****

This was said as it clashed with a Leinster Champs... A race that a fair few runners would be intending to run both the LC and the trial. Maybe more so than those that would run the LL and the trial.

Then again, I could be reading all this wrong and may have successful confused myself.

Back to back racing... My favorite!!

Peterx

ocnoc wrote: »

Avonbeg in the mist...and torrential rain, zero vis, gael forced winds... Debating whether to bail at Table Track... I relish the thought.

This is my point exactly. different types of races with different types of focus.
In a trial race the internal debate is tactical - when do I push, when do I wait, how strong am I, how strong is he, why didn't I train more...

ocnoc

Peterx wrote: »

when do I push, when do I wait, how strong am I, how strong is he, why didn't I train more...

...thats more the internal debate at Avonbeg that the Euro trails

Ar Strae

looking at the description of Avonbeg I think it might be more like

when do I vomit, how can I bale out, where the hell is that cairn, why did I drink last night, what made me think marzipan was a good fuel choice...

thepassanger

Ar Strae wrote: »

what made me think marzipan was a good fuel choice...

last year i thought dates would be a good food choice, for sugar stuff etc..., boy was i wrong. they feel like you are eating acid and burn your tounge to bits, i had a rough tounge for 2 weeks after the race. this year i think it will be fig rolls and jumbo raisins. plus a bit of lemon juice in the water to cut through my flemmy throat.

ocnoc

or....

eat like a horse 2 days before the race, run with an "emergency" power gel strapped to your person and have 500ml (or minimum as stated by race director) of glucose/nuun laced water in your bag.. Problem solved

Antigrav

The new second-leg of the Connaught Champs up Mweelrea from the beach at Dadreen has been put up on the IMRA website complete with map and profile.

This finally brings Connaught's highest mountain into the Championship and looks like 10k of fun and frolic.

I know some will miss that last descent off Ben Gorm, but it's kinda like missing the snow and ice. It was nice for a change, but was really a pain in the arse :rolleyes:

Looking forward to this weekend as the combined Croagh Patrick, Mweelrea double will be a tough one to beat for this year's events :D

There may even be a couple of surprises in store. One not to miss

Slogger Jogger

Any hints on the expected overseas runner? Hope they measure up to Croagh Patrick the previous day too.

PositiveNegativ

I'm guessing Brucie Shenker.

Now to complete the Connaught picture. Dump that hole of a race CP and stick Nephin in with Mweelrea

ocnoc

PositiveNegativ wrote: »

Now to complete the Connaught picture. Dump that hole of a race CP and stick Nephin in with Mweelrea

Double off road back to back.....

Now thats a weekend I'd consider skipping the IOC for!

(well... this year is brockagh )

Stark

I like the CP race. Though having to descend at speed past lots of elderly pilgrims is a bit of an issue.

Slogger Jogger

Stark wrote: »

I like the CP race. Though having to descend at speed past lots of elderly pilgrims is a bit of an issue.

And some of us elderly runners

Pardon the pun but I for one don't see the need for certain events to be sacred on the calendar. CP tracks suffer enough errosion as it is and I agree with the safety issues there.

It would be great, for a change, to see other Connaught routes. Lots of stuff in the Bens and Maamturks too thats unvisited by IMRA as well as Achill. Moving up, its been many a year since Errigal got a visit.

GoHardOrGoHome

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

And some of us elderly runners

Pardon the pun but I for one don't see the need for certain events to be sacred on the calendar. CP tracks suffer enough errosion as it is and I agree with the safety issues there.

It would be great, for a change, to see other Connaught routes. Lots of stuff in the Bens and Maamturks too thats unvisited by IMRA as well as Achill. Moving up, its been many a year since Errigal got a visit.

Personally I think Croagh Patrick and Carrauntoohil are sacrosanct. Nothing else! Not that the dates are untouchable. I would hate to see Croagh Patrick off the calendar but I don't mind it not being part of the Connaught Champs!

ocnoc

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Errigal

I get excited about just thinking about it!!!!

Slogger Jogger

Ha. Echoing your earlier comment re Mwreelrea.. do you have to follow the red line or can you go direct. Thats probably whats in your head.

ocnoc

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Ha. Echoing your earlier comment re Mwreelrea.. do you have to follow the red line or can you go direct. Thats probably whats in your head.

Apparently, if the rumors are to be correct, not following the red line = certain death!

(hello white out )

PositiveNegativ

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

Personally I think Croagh Patrick and Carrauntoohil are sacrosanct.

Nothing should be sacrosanct in hill running except chaotic downhills:D

The Mweelrea & Nephin combination has been done in the past.

http://www.imra.ie/archiveresults/Mweelrea94.pdf
http://www.imra.ie/archiveresults/Nephin94.pdf

T runner

PositiveNegativ wrote: »

I'm guessing Brucie Shenker.

Now to complete the Connaught picture. Dump that hole of a race CP and stick Nephin in with Mweelrea

Thats a great idea. Im going to start lobbying for next year now!