West Wicklow Roar 28th May

DogSlySmile

This one's on the horizon folks!

I'm undecided whether to sign up for the sport or the expert. The sport seems a wee bit short but the expert is a bit too long!! :pac:

So how does WW Roar compare to Achill Roar and WAR in terms of toughness?

ThisRegard

I did Sport last year, it was my first event of the year and found it tough enough, the beach run after the hill really saps your strength, it's tough going. The expert is a big jump up from the sport though, there's a tough cycle up to Black Hill for the second run over some boggy ground which will really kill the legs. But I'm thinking I wouldn't find it as hard to do now considering I'm more experienced in those events than what I was last year.

Which Achill ROAR (Sport/Expert) and WAR are you talking about ? I would think the run is tougher than the Achill sport but I don't know what the sports cycle is like in Achill for comparison purposes.

DogSlySmile

ThisRegard wrote: »

Which Achill ROAR (Sport/Expert) and WAR are you talking about ? I would think the run is tougher than the Achill sport but I don't know what the sports cycle is like in Achill for comparison purposes.

Hmm maybe I'll stick with the sport in this one, cycling is my weakness. I did Achill ROAR last year and WAR Glendalough this year, both sport.

Excuseless

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Hmm maybe I'll stick with the sport in this one, cycling is my weakness. I did Achill ROAR last year and WAR Glendalough this year, both sport.

The different format of these races means that they are not always directly comparable. Achill ROAR run is fairly straightforward with much on the flat and good surfaced beach whilst in West Wicklow the beach run terrain is softer and more interesting;). WAR Sport in Glendalough has a fairly hard run up the Spink to start whilst the upcoming WAR Glenmalure (18th June) Sport course again starts with a run but it is far more gentle.
West Wicklow Roar's sport course has the biking broken up into two with the run in between the two cycles which generally will suit those that may not be strong on the cycling.
Best general tip is to checkout the available information on course maps and elevations for the specific race routes and tailor your training with the routes involved in mind i.e. Steep hills or gentle hills, beach or boggy runs, "technical" downhill running, etc

DogSlySmile

Cheers for the tips excuseless, I got down to the beach yesterday to get used to running on sand.

I had a look at the map for the WWR sport, its kinda hard (for me anyway ) to tell how big/steep the hill is and what sort of training I should be doing for it. How do you think that hill compares to the spink in WAR glendalough or the hill in Achill ROAR??

nerraw1111

The run is easier than the spink. It is not as high.

The climb is about 1.7km from start of the run to the top with 180 metres of climbing. You come back the same way and then out to the beach which is the real energy sapper in my experience.

The spinc is about 350 metres of climbing over 3.5km to the top.

dermo f

hey

I have never done actual one before and I see the kayak is at the start.
Do people leave their shoes and socks on the shore and throw them on after? Not much of a chance not getting the runners wet at this stage.

Cheers

DogSlySmile

dermo f wrote: »

hey

I have never done actual one before and I see the kayak is at the start.
Do people leave their shoes and socks on the shore and throw them on after? Not much of a chance not getting the runners wet at this stage.

Cheers

Ive only done a couple of these but from what Ive seen people arent that worried about getting their runners wet because they'll dry out on the run anyway. So they leave em on when in the kayak, plus you'd be wasting time putting socks/runners onto wet feet

Not sure what I'll do myself this time as the bike leg is after the kayak. And if the "short beach dash" turns out to be as long as the run to the kayak in Achill ROAR (around 800m) I wont want to be wearing cycling shoes :eek:

ThisRegard

For this one some people went bare footed for the kayak and put their shoes on for the bike afterwards, the run to them is not as far as Achill.

However if you don't intend to wear cycling shoes and use trail shoes for the duration there's no point as you'll get wet on the first run anyway. The alternative is carrying your runners with you on the bike.

dermo f

Yep i'll be wearing trail runners for the whole thing.
I didnt realise that we would be getting wet on the first run.
I just thought that getting the runners wet at the start and with 14km of running = blisters. Hopefully they will dry out a bit on the bike

Cheers lads

ThisRegard

Once on the beach after the hill you could theoretically stay dry but that would involve running around the very outside adding a bit to your journey. You'll ending up crossing little inlets and streams to shorten your run. And it's a run that encourages blisters due to the good chance of sand getting into your shoes.

trinewbie

there are fast dry lines dry lines if you know where to look , if possible get out for a recce...There are a few alternative crossing points for the stream, some of which you will get a LOT wetter on

ThisRegard

Just to add, last year was a scorcher and it was lovely to get into knee high, and deeper, water at times.

Keedowah

Anyone wearing cycling shoes for the sports version?

dermo f

Has anybody recieved any emails about registering for the event.
There only really seems to be last years info on the website.
They seem to be leaving it fairly late about wave start times etc

Keedowah

I thought I was the only one worried about it - havn't received anything from them since signing up. I applied for both events and on my receipt is just mentions Achill (but was charged for both).

DogSlySmile

Keedowah wrote: »

I thought I was the only one worried about it - havn't received anything from them since signing up. I applied for both events and on my receipt is just mentions Achill (but was charged for both).

Similar thing happened to me! I signed up for both but my receipt only mentions the Wicklow ROAR

I'll wait a couple of months and see if I hear anything more about the Achill ROAR but if I was you Keedowah I'd get on to them today. You're probably fine, but it never hurts to make sure

Fi H

3 stars (average)

Closing for entry is tomorrow at noon so they will send out the details after that. Dont worry it will be all right on the day

nerraw1111

No need to worry, no reason to get in touch before now. Roar lads run quality
events.

One of the best races of last year.

Keedowah

Yeah I did this weekends race last year - great bunch organising it alright.

DogSlySmile

Email from organisers:

West Wicklow ROAR 2011

– Sat 28th May
Participant Information Briefing

Thank you for your entry to this year’s West Wicklow ROAR event this Saturday. Entries to the event have now closed and there are no on the day entries. All relevant information on the race route, distances, etc are on the website so please check out these before you arrive at the start if interested in them.

Race sign-on:

We’ll have race sign on open in Cycle Super Store in Tallaght as follows: Thurs 26th - 11.00 to 21.00
Limited sign on at Tulfarris on Sat between 08.30 and 09.15 for Experts and 09.30 and 10.15 for those that cannot make it to Cycle Superstore on Thursday.

Mandatory kit items will be available to buy at Cycle Superstore on Thursday

At registration you will be issued with your race number, map of the course, timing “chip” and ROAR bike jersey. These jerseys are “comfort” fit so please take your normal size not a size up as is the case with some slim fitting bike jerseys

In line with our policy of giving a quality, value for money event we will not have any “goody” bag as previously preferring to keep the costs down for you and the quality of the event up and saving a few trees along the way too.

Parking: Competitors parking is adjacent to the race start/ finish area at Tulfarris

Mandatory Equipment:

Basic first aid kit (Minimum: 1 x Dressing Pad for heavy bleeding (field dressing); 1 x bandage, plasters).
Survival bag or foil blanket
Whistle
Energy food and drink (you should be self sufficient – We recommend a absolute minimum of 500ml of electrolyte and 1 energy bar/ gel per hour or part thereof)
Bicycle helmet for cycling section
Mobile phone in plastic bag with organisers details (087-830-7214 or 086-3503994)
Gloves *
Hat (Buff Headwear or equivalent is sufficient)*
Spare top*
Water-proof top with Taped seams*
Small rucksack or suitable bum bag*

You must bring all mandatory equipment to Tulfarris on Saturday.

Items marked * above may not be required if weather conditions allow but current forecast is for cool weather with wind and a chance of showers so it is likely that the mandatory kit will be required

This will be confirmed on race day!

Bicycle: The most likely reason for not finishing will be your bike. Flat tyre, brakes or gears failing, etc, so please ensure that your bike is up to the event. There won’t be a mechanic out on the course fixing bikes. We will have a vehicle sweeping the course but this may be hours behind you, so it’s best to be prepared with a well serviced bicycle, spare tubes and a multi-tool and knowing how to use them.

Timing: The SI timing system is being used. See the instructions card you’ll get at registration for how this works. There is a €30 charge for not returning your timing chip, so please do look after it.

The Start: Check your start time on the entry list which will be on the website we hope later today but will also be posted at Tulfarris on race day

You do not need to know what wave you are in for race sign at Cyclesuperstore

The Wave Starts will be as follows:

Wave 1 - 10.00 – Expert Course – Elite / Runners / Joggers

Wave 2 - 11.00 – Sports Course – Elite and Runners

Wave 3 - 11.30 – Sports Course – Joggers/ Walkers

We may be able to accommodate some wave changes if required on Saturday at the start area so please ask then if you want to change waves

Please do rack your bike in the transition area early.
Open from 8am on race day until 9.30am for experts and until 10.15 for sports. Transition area should be cleared by 5pm on Saturday afternoon. The start is adjacent to the transition area. If you miss your start, you will be allowed to go in the next start and our timing system will make allowance for this. If you have ambitions to win a prize then you should be in Wave 1 for Expert and Wave 2 for Sports

Kayak Stage: After the start, you’ll run over to the lakeshore (~300m) where you will get into a 2 person kayak with the person who arrives there with you unless you have brought your own kayak. You will be given a buoyancy aid to put on before you get into the kayak. After the kayak stage is completed you will return to the Transition area TA1 and get you bike, helmet and mandatory kit and cycle to TA2.

You do Not need to carry your mandatory kit with you on the kayak.

Cycle Stages: Helmets: You’ll need to have your helmet fastened when you are cycling or pushing your bike. So please don’t try to save seconds by doing up your helmet when you cycling or taking it off in advance of the transition area. 30sec standing penalties will be applied for this.

Roads: The roads are open and the rules of the road apply so please cycle with due regard for the safety of all road users. Obey Marshals instructions at all times or risk disqualification.

Please cycle in single file (note drafting is allowed but not encouraged due to broken nature of the route). With recent patch-up of potholed roads there are loose chippings on the roads in some places and in particular on the steep descent section of the Expert course after TA3. Please slow down and cycle within your abilities and with due regards to the road condition, your bike and other road users.

The roads are not closed and You do NOT have Right of Way at any Stage of the race.

Run Stages: The run stages are tough in parts but allow you some fine Wicklow views, so enjoy. If you get into difficulty, please alert the nearest marshal. There will be first aid at every transition. The trails are marked and you will be given a map at registration. Please study the map, so you will ensure that you don’t go wrong on race day. Please give way to other trail users and of course enjoy the views.

Transitions: Please bear in mind that all mandatory kit must be carried at all stages except when on the kayak at though we recommend that you wear your jacket on the kayaks to stay warm.

You can leave gear at TA1 (Tulfarris) at any stage

At TA2 you rack bike and can leave your bike helmet/ shoes with it if you want – all mandatory kit must be taken on the run and with you when you leave transition.

Tap water is available beside toilet block in nearby farmyard.

Orbano energy/ recovery drink will be also be available at TA2

For Expert course, at TA3 – you rack bike and must take your mandatory kit with you on run – Bike helmet and shoes can be left with your bike – approx 1 l of water per person is available here in large containers

No external help or stashing of gear at transitions in form of food/ drink or gear carried (e.g. dropping running shoes to transition) is permitted at any point on the course not are you permitted to leave your runners behind at the transitions after completing your runs.

Finish: After returning to Tulfarris, you’ll be asked to rack your bike and then run the ~100m to the finish. You will need to return your timing chip to us and we hope to give personal printouts of split and overall times for your race and issue provisional results as participants cross the line.

Water, fresh fruit and Glenisk yogurts will be available at the finish area

Numbers: Race numbers are to be worn visible on the front at all times.

Prizegiving: This will take place at Start / Finish Area at approx 15.00. There will be prizes for top 3 and first Over 40 (Vet) in both courses (M & F)

Thanks to all of our sponsors for their support of this event and in particular to Cycle Superstore and Columbia for prize sponsorship.

Food / Party /Camping: After the race Tulfarris Hotel will be providing great food and drink at reasonable cost which we encourage you to avail of. They have given us access to the lake and for the transition area and this is how they hope to get something out of the event. The organisers will be having a get together for food there after the event and we would love you to join us.

After event hooley/ seisúin mór will be in the Ballyknockan Inn on Saturday night from 9pm

This is close to TA2 which will be available for camping on Saturday night - nominal charge for the farmer of €5/ hd (honesty box) and kitchen facilities and toilets are available in the adjacent farmyard you will run past on Saturday on your way down toward the lake.

www.visitwicklow.ie has details of other accommodation option in the area.

It should be a great day out in undiscovered West Wicklow!

See you in Tulfarris on Saturday

Paul, Brian and Ciaran

Your ROAR Team

Excuseless

Entry lists up now on event website.


Race promises to be a classic up front in expert with Marrey, O' Farrell (PeterX) and Somers (Trinewbie) amongst those entered whilst Devaney will be made work hard by Mulchrone and Devitt in ladies expert section.
Sports will be a high standard too with Cunnane, Lenehan and Brady looking strong and Dahl , Carolan, Rath and Cullen doing battle in the ladies section.
I will do a full "Formguide" later on and put on MSAI.ie
Djouce looking damp, windy and misty so better head off and do the IMRA race there shortly.

Good luck to all boardies for Sat

ps
Anyone that entered both events will just have a receipt showing whichever event site they entered through but No Worries - we have ya counted for both!

Fi H

3 stars (average)

Thanks to Total Experience for another fantastic day out. I really enjoyed this.. it went really smoothly from start to finish. Despite not being as fast as I'd hoped I was happy overall.
Really liked the finish area having hot food and a massage available.

Good atmosphere too so I think everyone enjoyed it!!

DogSlySmile

Fi H wrote: »

I really enjoyed this.. it went really smoothly from start to finish.

Ahh so you didn't get to take part in the "super added bonus detour" in the last cycle??? Sure an extra 6 miles is just what you want at the end of a race :rolleyes:

kevd2000

Another well run race from the roar team. Struggled with the long kayak which was made harder by the conditions. Otherwise, no complaints. Had a great day

ThisRegard

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Ahh so you didn't get to take part in the "super added bonus detour" in the last cycle??? Sure an extra 6 miles is just what you want at the end of a race :rolleyes:

On the leg back to the finish ? Did you go wrong ?

DogSlySmile

ThisRegard wrote: »

On the leg back to the finish ? Did you go wrong ?

Yeah a marshall sent me and at least 5 other people the wrong way!!! :mad:

I was talking to Paul Mahon after the race about it. I was asking him was there anything he could do with the times of people who were sent the wrong way, he said they would take your first cycle time and use that as your second cycle time + 5 minutes.

So if anybody else was sent the wrong way make sure you email the ROAR guys and ask to have your time changed

EDIT: in the email make sure to give them your race number!

WithCheesePlease

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Yeah a marshall sent me and at least 5 other people the wrong way!!! :mad:

Yep, same as. Was raging. And gutted. My last 10.5K cycle was closer to 30. Was on for a great time too, by my own standards.

glasshopper

It's always a good idea to do some training on the same course you are going to race. if you can of course. and if not I would drive it the day or morning before. It's an adventure race so you should navigate yourself and marshals are only for traffic / safety. but to be sent the wrong way is well unfortunate.
Loved the longer kayak, not so much the wind. hope they add another KM for next year. the hill runs killed me - cramps on both legs. some terrain eh! especially the second run.
great race and so well run by the Total Experience crew.
no. 27

DogSlySmile

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Yeah a marshall sent me and at least 5 other people the wrong way!!! :mad:

Well this is embarrassing....

Having looked at the race map and comparing it to the route that I and several others took it seems that a marshal did not send us the wrong way, we simply missed a turn

Apparently there was supposed to be a marshal at the turn I missed but he/she wasn't there for whatever reason. But I'm told the turn was marked with an arrow so it seems I was playing "follow the leader" and missed it completely.

So like glasshopper says its always a good idea to do some training on the same course you are going to race.

I hope my earlier comments wont put anyone off signing up for future ROARs/WARs. I'll definitely be signing up for more as I've done a couple of races that these lads have organised so I know that they put on high quality events.

WithCheesePlease

DogSlySmile wrote: »

I hope my earlier comments wont put anyone off signing up for future ROARs/WARs. I'll definitely be signing up for more as I've done a couple of races that these lads have organised so I know that they put on high quality events.

+1

Gutted I missed the turn off, but I'll be back! Have done a few other events of theirs in the past and they've been great days out and flawlessly run. I'll just have to get over what could have been if I hadn't missed that turn off!

ThisRegard

Well done on admitting your mistake, it would have been quite easy for you to just fade into the background and say nothing.

I'll just echo what has been said about getting a recce in on some of the longer courses, at least you'll be familiar with the course in that you know what's ahead of you. I at least usually try drive it the day night before anyway, for some reason during the cycle stages I always seem to be on my own, no one ahead to follow and nobody behind to shout at me if I go wrong.

dernipper

In fairness you have earned a bit of respect there by admitting your mistake, well done, it would have been very easy not to say anything especially when the organisers were facilitating those who went wrong.

These guys run good events and it is worth noting that they were willing to accomodate those who went wrong rather than engaging in any blame game. Quality events require honest participation from both the organisers and those taking part and it is grat to see that this was evident in this instance,,,,,,,,,,

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Well this is embarrassing....

Having looked at the race map and comparing it to the route that I and several others took it seems that a marshal did not send us the wrong way, we simply missed a turn

Apparently there was supposed to be a marshal at the turn I missed but he/she wasn't there for whatever reason. But I'm told the turn was marked with an arrow so it seems I was playing "follow the leader" and missed it completely.

So like glasshopper says its always a good idea to do some training on the same course you are going to race.

I hope my earlier comments wont put anyone off signing up for future ROARs/WARs. I'll definitely be signing up for more as I've done a couple of races that these lads have organised so I know that they put on high quality events.

earsandasmile

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Well this is embarrassing....

Having looked at the race map and comparing it to the route that I and several others took it seems that a marshal did not send us the wrong way, we simply missed a turn

Apparently there was supposed to be a marshal at the turn I missed but he/she wasn't there for whatever reason. But I'm told the turn was marked with an arrow so it seems I was playing "follow the leader" and missed it completely.

So like glasshopper says its always a good idea to do some training on the same course you are going to race.

I hope my earlier comments wont put anyone off signing up for future ROARs/WARs. I'll definitely be signing up for more as I've done a couple of races that these lads have organised so I know that they put on high quality events.

Fair play.
I did the same thing at CLEC tarmac last year....twice!
After the race I spent an afternoon giving out about how it was everyone elses fault. It was only when I sat down and looked at it, that I realised that not having some knowledge of the course I was doing was a major flaw in my perparation. It's a tough lesson but one you'll only need to learn once.
On that occassion I was in second place and having a battle with the guy in third. He followed me down the wrong road on the bike. I'll never forget his face afterwards! He was fit to kill me! Anyway thats what puts the Adventure into adventure racing!

Adventurer10

Brilliant race, really enjoed it, especially great to see a decent distance in the kayak stage, hope other races will follow.

Adventurer10

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Yeah a marshall sent me and at least 5 other people the wrong way!!! :mad:

We were all issued with a good quality O.S. map, it's an adventure race . As the organisers said at the briefing, the marhalls and arrows are a bonus, use the map :eek:

BigAl81

4 stars (good)

Hey,

Here's the route as mapped by a fancy watch, the elevation graph is always interesting!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/88615015

Just don't look at the time, I hit the wall around 40k, was almost falling alseep on the bike ride back as I had so little energy Great day out tho, cant wait for next year so I can come back and get a respectable time, think I'll try these gels thingys next time too!

Go Team!

Excuseless

Adventurer10 wrote: »

We were all issued with a good quality O.S. map, it's an adventure race . As the organisers said at the briefing, the marhalls and arrows are a bonus, use the map :eek:

Thanks to all for their understanding re the bit of a hiccup on Sat and esp Dog Sly Smile for his admission of own mistake etc :eek:!

Facts are that a marshal was late getting to their post at a marked turn so several missed it (Most did not) in the early part of the sports class but for sure no one was sent the wrong way by any marshal.

Mail just sent to participants:

Many thanks to all for participating in the West Wicklow ROAR event last Saturday.

Some great racing was done at all parts of the field with personal battles against friends, foes and for some the weather especially in the challenging paddling conditions.

Unfortunately some of the early finishers in the sport field missed a marked (but unmarshaled at the time) turn towards the end of the final bike leg which led to somewhat skewed results.
We don't want to set a precedence for changing results just because folk miss a turn that was marked and shown on the map provided but in this instance are going to try to address the issue fairly.

We have "found" all we believe from the bike splits that went wrong.
We have adjusted their final leg times to be first bike leg time plus 5 minutes.

The amended results and splits are shown at the links from the ROAR home page.
If you have any queries please e-mail us at info@roar.ie

We will be notifying all prizewinners that were not present on the day at prizegiving in due course.

Super quality event photos are also available on the Action Photography site
these are available to be use on Face Book and similar for free and if you want some quality prints please e-mail John with the details and he can provide at very very reasonable rates.

Hopefully all will be back for more quality racing at WAR in Glenmalure on 16th June and then of course at Achill ROAR on 10th September next.
Use of the Discount Code "ROAR" is currently good for a €10 discount for entry to these events so enter now - limited validity:).


See you at the races

Paul, Brian and Ciaran
Your ROAR Adventure Racing Team

Fi H

3 stars (average)

Hi Paul
I have to say I am very surprised that the results are being changed to accommodate people who missed a clearly marked turn on a well marked and well run course. While I would expect the lack of a marshall could cause problems for people who have never done a race before, I would expect people who are leading the race to know and understand their map and the route and to take responsibility for getting around the course without assistance.

Its definitely a dangerous precident to set....
I know in the CLEC tarmac there were huge problems with the course last year and pretty much everyone was lost at some stage and ended up taking different routes, despite this being clearly a fault of the organisation as previous race markings were left in place there was never a suggestion that the results would be changed.

Anyway the decision has been made at this stage, I appreciate that it can be difficult to make decisions like this. Overall I believe the races you run are extremely well organised and I really enjoy them. I do think however, that changing the results when people have missed a marked turn detracts from the overall experience. (wheres the adventure gone )

trinewbie

Great race again this year , organisation top notch and a great atmosphere. Pity Mike O'Brien and Derval Devaney got tipped out on the kayak but that the nature of the sport - anything can happen. Wind made the route tough but was nice to have a bit of a tail wind for the long climb up to the last run CP.

With regard to Marshalling: Its come up so many times at this stage: At the end of the day it is an adventure race, not a duathlon/triathlon. All competitors were provided with a route map in advance for a reason and should have familiarized themselves with the route/ carried the map in their kit.


Well done on another fantastic event, will be down at WAR Glenmalure in a few weeks time for more fun and games.:)

Dutchie

trinewbie wrote: »

Great race again this year , organisation top notch and a great atmosphere. Pity Mike O'Brien and Derval Devaney got tipped out on the kayak but that the nature of the sport - anything can happen. Wind made the route tough but was nice to have a bit of a tail wind for the long climb up to the last run CP.

With regard to Marshalling: Its come up so many times at this stage: At the end of the day it is an adventure race, not a duathlon/triathlon. All competitors were provided with a route map in advance for a reason and should have familiarized themselves with the route/ carried the map in their kit.


Well done on another fantastic event, will be down at WAR Glenmalure in a few weeks time for more fun and games.:)

Agreed,

Great race, real fun, i don't think the results should be changed to accomadate the people who missed the last turn for tulfarris. It was clearly sign posted, IMO marshalls are there to ensure competitors race in a safe envoirnment not give directions and support to racers. After all it is an adventure race.

I think the kayak section on the sprint course should be doubled in lenght for next year.

Good work boys.

PositiveNegativ

4 stars (good)

I was marshalling CP2A on the expert route last Saturday. Lovely sheltered spot to spend a few hours.
Reason I'm posting is I couldn't believe the number of people asking me if they where 'half way', 'nearly finished', 'is there much more climb'. Seems the map wasn't highly studied prior to the race. I'd have thought 'forewarned & forearmed' would have been a key in multi-sport races.
Having said that, there were plenty of smiling faces, positive comments and remarkable lack of litter on the post run sweep of the hill. Not a bad day out at all.
So, a bit more map time for WAR Glenmalure....