gaelforce west 20/8/2011

yop

nerraw1111 wrote: »

I see Enda Kenny has finally ended the adventure racers versus triathletes debate.

"I wish them very well; these warriors that take part in adventure races, as they are called, are not triathlon people or Olympians – they are superhuman to do what they do."

He was speaking at the launch of a Garda fundraising appeal to raise €50,000 for Our Lady of Lourdes and Holles Street hospitals which will see 110 volunteers take part in the Gaelforce Challenge West on August 20th later this year.


Thanks Inda. Kona me arse

110 now! It was 100 of us yesterday! Got good coverage yesterday.

Head The Wall

yop wrote: »

110 now! It was 100 of us yesterday! Got good coverage yesterday.

There could have been one more if ya told me the correct wave time, although its motivation to catch you up

Rinker

2 stars (poor)

Mr Freeze wrote: »

Climbing up some of the hills that are steep and have lots of loose gravel, stay in the saddle and an easy gear and hopefully the back wheel shouldn't skid too much, standing up on the bike in these sections could cause ya to lose grip and come off.

Head The Wall wrote:

These instructions on riding on rough terrain should tell you to get out of the saddle (especially so on a racer), if it doesn't that person doesn't know much about riding offroad.

So which is it?

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

Both really! Keep the weight balanced on the rough flats and downhills, so you will be slightly off the saddle there if not completely off it!

On a slippy steep incline, just try not to skid or slip so low gear and stay in the saddle and take it easy is what works for me!

Do whatever works for you! Get a bit of recon on the course if you can, the gaelforce thread does be full of conflicting info each year, best to try things out for yourself and make your own mind up!

Operator

3 stars (average)

Head The Wall wrote: »

There could have been one more if ya told me the correct wave time, although its motivation to catch you up

7.30 wave, if you are already in a different wave GFW will facilitate you in the 7.30 wave if you are doing it for the Tania Mc Cabe Foundation

yop

Operator wrote: »

7.30 wave, if you are already in a different wave GFW will facilitate you in the 7.30 wave if you are doing it for the Tania Mc Cabe Foundation

The lads are split across a few waves. Majority are probably doing the 7.30am wave.

siobhanb79

Operator wrote: »

7.30 wave, if you are already in a different wave GFW will facilitate you in the 7.30 wave if you are doing it for the Tania Mc Cabe Foundation

Hi Guys, The 7.30am wave is now full, so if you are doing it for the Tania Mc Cabe Foundation you will have to choice a different wave. The only waves left with spaces are the 8.30am, 9.00amd and the elites at 5am.

LaHaine

4 stars (good)

Footwear -do I need trail running shoes?

Kayak- how important is it to get a practise run in? Ive done a small bit a few years ago but it's been a long time. can you get away without any practise?

Croagh patrick. will hill sprints help much when it comes to me crawling up this?

Just a few quick questions! Starting to get very excited/nervous about this already!!

nerraw1111

LaHaine wrote: »

Footwear -do I need trail running shoes?

Kayak- how important is it to get a practise run in? Ive done a small bit a few years ago but it's been a long time. can you get away without any practise?

Croagh patrick. will hill sprints help much when it comes to me crawling up this?

Just a few quick questions! Starting to get very excited/nervous about this already!!

Trail shoes would definitely be an advantage. The first run can be quite slippy even if its dry. After kayaks is v boggy. You'd get away without them if money is tight but if it's a wet one it'll be v frustrating.

Kayak is very short to make any difference really. I wouldn't bother with training but it's no harm either.

Hill sprints will certainly help. It's murder on the legs.

centre back

4 stars (good)

If you have done all your'e training in runners up to now i would stick with them, from previous experience most people wear runners doing gaelforce!
kayak is so short, and the fact you have done some before you should be grand, the mountain.....pray!!:)

nerraw1111

If its wet, you'll lose shed loads of time with runners. Plenty of time to break in trail shoes. Most of the elite appear to wear trail shoes

centre back

4 stars (good)

nerraw1111 wrote: »

If its wet, you'll lose shed loads of time with runners. Plenty of time to break in trail shoes. Most of the elite appear to wear trail shoes

ha! i wasn't in the elites the last 2 years so can only comment on us slower people:D

former

4 stars (good)

LaHaine wrote: »

Footwear -do I need trail running shoes?

Kayak- how important is it to get a practise run in? Ive done a small bit a few years ago but it's been a long time. can you get away without any practise?

Croagh patrick. will hill sprints help much when it comes to me crawling up this?

Just a few quick questions! Starting to get very excited/nervous about this already!!

I did a recce on the GFW course this weekend. The first and second runs are quite wet right now so I recommend using trail runners.

CP is very tough. I intend to try out the WAR Powercourt route as the Sugarloaf is somewhat similar.

ThisRegard

Trail shoes also have a little more protection around the toes, can come in handy on the scree on Croagh Patrick. I got a belt of a rock on my foot last year, would not fancy getting the same on with road shoes on.

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

Did the reek today. Time up 31mins and down 23mins. Is this a decent time and would it be compatible with a sub 5hr time. I know that the time will be longer when I have a cycle and run done.

Rinker

2 stars (poor)

Thats a good time Rawhead and definitely good enough for a sub 5 hour. I did 38 up and 17 down last year and finished in 4hrs 40something. You've a good chance of achieving that time again during the race. Although you'll be tired by the cycle you get extra impetus from the occasion and knowing that you're on the home stretch at that stage.

Just out of interest did you go up and down the same route?

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

I'm presuming I did the correct route. Started timing from the mountain rescue cabins. After the split between the front and back route I went off trail as the crow flies coming down.

snailsong

4 stars (good)

Rawhead wrote: »

Did the reek today. Time up 31mins and down 23mins. Is this a decent time and would it be compatible with a sub 5hr time. I know that the time will be longer when I have a cycle and run done.

That's a great time up and about average down. Maybe you'd be better going down the same way you ent up. Or maybe practise descending on the loose stuff. It's quite technical and this is a spot where the top guys make up a lot of time. FWIW I live nearby and practise a fair bit, I'm still rubbish at it:).

centre back

4 stars (good)

Rawhead wrote: »

Did the reek today. Time up 31mins and down 23mins. Is this a decent time and would it be compatible with a sub 5hr time. I know that the time will be longer when I have a cycle and run done.

very good time if you can do that in the race you should be well able for sub 5

nerraw1111

Snailsong.

Seeing as you practice there alot, what do you reckon is the faster descent? The path or as the crow flies?

Q7

4 stars (good)

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Snailsong.

Seeing as you practice there alot, what do you reckon is the faster descent? The path or as the crow flies?

You have to remember there will be a lot of people on the way up CP on the path so this will slow you down on the decent. Fastest way down is as the crow flies. Last year I went up the path but straight down as the crow flies.

nerraw1111

Q7 wrote: »

You have to remember there will be a lot of people on the way up CP on the path so this will slow you down on the decent. Fastest way down is as the crow flies. Last year I went up the path but straight down as the crow flies.

True.
I did it the two different ways. Last year, I did get slightly held up with ppl going up but then I did go in the second last wave. This year going out in the first wave so Reek might not be that busy.

Only one way to find out I suppose. Hope to do that in 2 weeks time

Ah_go_on

Does anyone know if the first run is the same as last year (14km as opposed to the 12k as advertised)?. It was a last minute change last year as far as remember however it would be nice to know this year well in advance.

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

Same Run I believe, all 14km of it.
13.97 according to my garmin.

Ah_go_on

Mr Freeze wrote: »

Same Run I believe, all 14km of it.
13.97 according to my garmin.

U'd imagine they would have updated the course details on the site, they've had almost a year to do it:mad:

belcarra

Ah_go_on wrote: »

Mr Freeze wrote: »

Same Run I believe, all 14km of it.
13.97 according to my garmin.

U'd imagine they would have updated the course details on the site, they've had almost a year to do it:mad:

It was incorrect two years ago as well so that's even longer that they've had to fix it!!

nerraw1111

Rawhead wrote: »

Did the reek today. Time up 31mins and down 23mins. Is this a decent time and would it be compatible with a sub 5hr time. I know that the time will be longer when I have a cycle and run done.

Check out last year's splits Rawhead: http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2010/gaelforce6/gael_force_splits.html

Some great info contained in there.

The last person under five hours did the reek in 36min up and 22 down. But there's lads under 4.30 hours, doing it in 40 mins up and 21 mins down.

First place did it in 30.21 up and 10.49 down, while second place Peterx did it in 26.53 up and 11.31 down.

I think the cycle is the critical part if you have a goal time in mind.

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Check out last year's splits Rawhead: http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2010/gaelforce6/gael_force_splits.html

Some great info contained in there.

The last person under five hours did the reek in 36min up and 22 down. But there's lads under 4.30 hours, doing it in 40 mins up and 21 mins down.

First place did it in 30.21 up and 10.49 down, while second place Peterx did it in 26.53 up and 11.31 down.

I think the cycle is the critical part if you have a goal time in mind.

I'll have to work on my descending. I have to admit there was a few times coming down the other day that I felt a toe getting caught and knew I wasn't a million miles from going out over my head. Rain (hopefully not) and tired legs would make it ropey. Cycling is going well so far, averaging about 33/34kph on hilly courses.

Head The Wall

Just looking for suggestions on footwear strategy for Gaelforce this year, ran it in 2009 and carried runners with me and changed in and out of cycling shoes for those sections. I finished in 5:50 but was hoping to improve a lot this year after training and racing a lot more, (GF was my first race then)

One area to improve on is transition, I despise using toe clips even though I used them racing road and MTB on them back in the early 90's so I had planned on using my trail runners until bike transition, changing into MTB spd's and giving the OH my runners.

I am planning to climb the reek using the MTB shoes, I don't think I am going to be sprinting up it (unless I surprise myself on the day) and have done some running in them recently, (beach run and assault course at the rough diamond) and have climbed the front of the reek in these shoes with the MTB before. They have a fairly soft pliable sole with good grips and they are comfortable

So here's a picture of the shoes, am I talking mad or talking sense?




As much as I hate toe clips I will be using them this Saturday in Kiltimagh as they are the best option for some races but I feel I would gain in Gaelforce from having clipless pedals rather than runners and toe clips.

There is also the added benefit of putting on a pair of clean dry socks and shoes at bike transition

snailsong

4 stars (good)

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Snailsong.

Seeing as you practice there alot, what do you reckon is the faster descent? The path or as the crow flies?

I think it depends on the person. I'm definitely faster on the path, I think beyond a certain steepness I can't let the brakes off so I never get a proper rhythm. Also there are a lot of deep holes hidden in the heather, so risk of injury is greater. I'm no expert, descending is by far my weakest discipline.

The top guys all take the straight route down, so if you want to win it that's what you gotta do.