Wicklow Way Relay 2012

Kurt Godel

Best race of the year, takes place this coming Saturday 26th May. Eight legs, starting from Kilmashogue in Dublin, to Shillelagh in Wicklow. Course is looking good and hard, ready for an assault on the record (the brilliant 7:03 from Rathfarnham last year).

Who will win it? Rathfarnham won't have their trump card for leg 7, bazman's blistering run from last year, but have strength in depth, and have to start favourites. Raheny are said to have a team looking for nothing less than gold. But best plans can and do go awry in this race; and there are well-prepared teams waiting in the wings to play their strengths...

Slogger Jogger has entered a Boards team. I'm bringing wizened M40 experience to the Tinahely Tri club team. Who else is running from these parts? Here's to a great race, see you all basking in the Shillelagh sunshine at the finish!:D

BeepBeep67

Sli Cualann plus a few others will have a team, still a bit of fluidity in the final team selection due to injuries and other priorities but will have it boxed off by tomorrow.

NB: I'll add I'm hoping not to run, but that is looking less likely!!!

Mothman

Leg 5 again on SJ's team.
I'm in shape to substantially improve on my time of last year. We'll see how it pans out

The heat is a challenge for me, though its relatively early in day and the run is just short enough to not have big impact.

jahaco

Hoping not to get lost or faint from heatstroke on leg 6, particularly as I'm captain of our team. Should be great fun. Novel experience for me. Only ever run the glory 8th leg before and had a pint to cool down at the end.

ultraman1

best of luck to yis all doing this,.......,still havent been asked back onto the donadea team after my momentous 27 mile leg 7 effort through baltinglass...

jeffontour

Leg 7 for me this year, eugh. The thoughts of it in that heat. Oh for a bit of drizzle.

nerraw1111

Leg 6 on SJ's team, after mothman.

Nervous excitement, the responsibility of running for a team!

Ar Strae

Leg 2 for "Where's Patrick?" Perfect for someone like me who doesn't like descents.

Unfortunately I'm not that pushed about ascents either....

Will see how it compares to last year's time. Might actually bring water with me this time I reckon.

Ro

Mothman

Ar Strae wrote: »

Leg 2 for "Where's Patrick?" Perfect for someone like me who doesn't like descents.

Unfortunately I'm not that pushed about ascents either....

Will see how it compares to last year's time. Might actually bring water with me this time I reckon.

Ro

You're fairly early in day before it's really heated up, also the breeze will be from east from the cold sea.

T runner

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Best race of the year, takes place this coming Saturday 26th May. Eight legs, starting from Kilmashogue in Dublin, to Shillelagh in Wicklow. Course is looking good and hard, ready for an assault on the record (the brilliant 7:03 from Rathfarnham last year).

Who will win it? Rathfarnham won't have their trump card for leg 7, bazman's blistering run from last year, but have strength in depth, and have to start favourites. Raheny are said to have a team looking for nothing less than gold. But best plans can and do go awry in this race; and there are well-prepared teams waiting in the wings to play their strengths...

Slogger Jogger has entered a Boards team. I'm bringing wizened M40 experience to the Tinahely Tri club team. Who else is running from these parts? Here's to a great race, see you all basking in the Shillelagh sunshine at the finish!:D

Ill be running more or less straight into the Ow at leg 6 end id say! Us leg 6ers are lucky there.

Slogger Jogger

Looking forward to what is always a great event and a highlight of the IMRA year. The team I'm stumbled together is a solid mix of youth, experience, form and seniority. Hoping for a top 5 spot but you don't know what'll happen on the day. Hoping to squeeze in a pint outside the Dying Cow in the sunshine at some point The joys (and woes) of being a non runner.

jeffontour

T runner wrote: »

Ill be running more or less straight into the Ow at leg 6 end id say! Us leg 6ers are lucky there.

I love leg 6. And that's one of the reasons.

Kurt Godel

jeffontour wrote: »

I love leg 6. And that's one of the reasons.

Best leg of the lot. Brilliant fast finish downhill, and where else would you be this hot weekend but in the water? Plenty of time to splash about, compose yourself, and then follow the race to the end.

Prediction: the hot weather will add to the navigational madness this year!

Magnet

Ive put together a team from AthenryAC and now Ive to bloody work so only be able to get my kicks via texts/calls.....
Thought I`d be dying laughing at the Dying Cow again this year!!
Tis a cruel world
Good Luck to all anyhow :cool:

Slogger Jogger

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Prediction: the hot weather will add to the navigational madness this year!

Yep. Can see excuses of heatstroke and sun in the eyes.

Although I can fondly remember leg 7 finishing at the Derry river for a nice soaking. The good old days.

Peterx

best to luck to all 30 teams, from the athletic clubs fighting for the win to the newcomers fighting for oxgyen.

Tis a great and grand sociable tradition in IMRA at this stage and you'd think that no one would or could get lost anymore or miss their leg start time but that still happens every year.
Leg 1 has the sneaky shortcut, annoying if you keep the moral high ground and lose 30 seconds to a rival.
Leg 2 is just brilliant, climbing up to one of the best views of the roof of wicklow and running on safe footed boardwalk so you can actually see the view.
Leg 3 is ladylike. Leg 4 was due to be renamed the John Brennan roadshow after his 6 (!!!!) recces of the route but his unavailabilty makes the race more interesting as Rathfarnham lose the man who put them into a clear lead last year.
Leg 5 is easy on the head and legs. Up, then down.
Leg 6 has a super finishing river to cool strained legs in and a high road crossing for carbound supporters.
Leg 7 is very long but that never stops some co-opted fast road runner from making it longer, plenty of twists and turns in that leg
Leg 8, the glory glory leg, also quite ladylike.

Have fun lads. I hope it's a close race and of course that Rathfarnham win again!

T runner

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Best leg of the lot. Brilliant fast finish downhill, and where else would you be this hot weekend but in the water? Plenty of time to splash about, compose yourself, and then follow the race to the end.

Prediction: the hot weather will add to the navigational madness this year!

Shows how good Gerry healys climbing is (to run it in 48.xx) as the man cant descend a flight of stairs!

As a matter of interest, Anyone know how long that new section with board walk is there (that avoids most of the road)?

Slogger Jogger

T runner wrote: »

As a matter of interest, Anyone know how long that new section with board walk is there (that avoids most of the road)?

Tell him nothing.

BeepBeep67

Team finalized last night, I'm with SJ, would prefer to be running and my respect for Kurt has grown the last few weeks.

Kurt Godel

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Team finalized last night, I'm with SJ, would prefer to be running and my respect for Kurt has grown the last few weeks.

Indeed, respect to all the captains- its a lot of work! This is my first year not organizing any teams, and its a joy to be told where and when to turn up, and that's it!

Respect especially to those captains struggling with last minute injuries that need replacing- I've had two emails just this morning looking for cover! (Anyone know leg 3 and fancy a run?)

T runner

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Tell him nothing.

Haha, in fairness I dont think this little insight into WW development will give me any advantage on race day. You can tell me at Ironbridge.....while youre waiting...:pac:

Edit: Touch wood no hat will be eaten

Kurt Godel

T runner wrote: »

Haha, in fairness I dont think this little insight into WW development will give me any advantage on race day. You can tell me at Ironbridge.....while youre waiting...:pac:

Most unsporting of Slogger not to answer your question T. Just keep going along the plastic matting, over Carrawaystick. Stop before Lug. No need to bring fluids with you; Kelly's lough is potable

T runner

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Most unsporting of Slogger not to answer your question T. Just keep going along the plastic matting, over Carrawaystick. Stop before Lug. No need to bring fluids with you; Kelly's lough is potable

Thats it. Bringing the yellow paint and brush with me.

(the Little yellow man on the signs is about to get very undecisive...or erroneously decisive. Dark paint also needed i admit)

earlyevening

Am sorry to be missing my usual leg1 for the boards team. Would be there if I could.

What's the final make up of the team? I only know who 4 or 5 of the runners are.

Slogger Jogger

earlyevening wrote: »

Am sorry to be missing my usual leg1 for the boards team. Would be there if I could.

What's the final make up of the team? I only know who 4 or 5 of the runners are.

Eanna was ill late yesterday so had to drop out. Its
Paul Tierney (last minute miracle sub)
Sean Fox
helen White
Mags Greenan
Angus Tyner M40
Warren Swords
Torben Dahl
Simon O'Dwyer M40
So 5 of 8 are frequent boardsies. A solid team if ever there was one.

BeepBeep67

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Eanna was ill late yesterday so had to drop out. Its
Paul Tierney (last minute miracle sub)
Sean Fox
helen White
Mags Greenan
Angus Tyner M40
Warren Swords
Torben Dahl
Simon O'Dwyer M40
So 5 of 8 are frequent boardsies. A solid team if ever there was one.

Sli Cualann
Colm Mullen
Vincent O'Sullivan
Jean Bader
Brendan Buck
Richard Hourihan
Ben Mooney M40
Ronan King M40
Joy Johnson

A mixture of experienced hill runners, youth and experienced club runners and even with a few regulars missing due to injury and other commitments, it's a pretty solid looking team.

Kurt Godel

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Although I can fondly remember leg 7 finishing at the Derry river for a nice soaking. The good old days.

As I was putting out "No Parking" signs this evening by the bridge, I got chatting to one of the two farmers on who's land we will be running. Problems occurred a few years back when a load of cars blocked the farmer from getting by with a tractor/trailer, words were exchanged, and a bit of a stand-off ensued. Anyway, he said he'd be willing to open up a field by the river NEXT YEAR, so cars could park there, and tired runners could finish at the natural downhill changeover. Dependent on no cars parking there this year, so please obey the signs! No leg 7 runner wants that final 1k uphill!:D

Kurt Godel

Checklist:

1) Study route, plan splits; check
2) Organise logistics, arrange lift to start; check
3) Stay up till silly o'clock drinking beer with PN; check...:D

Good luck everyone, gonna be a great day out there!

BeepBeep67

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Checklist:

1) Study route, plan splits; check
2) Organise logistics, arrange lift to start; check
3) Stay up till silly o'clock drinking beer with PN; check...:D

Good luck everyone, gonna be a great day out there!

Might see you at some stage - off to oldbridge now for a trot

RacoonQueen

Ah didn't realise this was on today. How come it's so early this year? Would have headed out on the bike if I'd known it was today!

Have fun guys.

Slogger Jogger

Now if only the imra website had live action tracking like the Copenhagen marathon . A manager can only see back and wait, and hope

RayCun

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Now if only the imra website had live action tracking like the Copenhagen marathon . A manager can only see back and wait, and hope

You should organise a semaphore system from hill to hill

Slogger Jogger

Paul T 60.20 for leg 1. Roughly 6th.

Slogger Jogger

Sean F 1:16ish on leg 2. A great run in hot conditions. 6th place I think, though I'm told our leg 3 runner has made up place in the initial stages so could be 5th.

Slogger Jogger

Think we are currently 5th after leg 3. Great run from Helen White in 31:15ish.

Burgman

Surely someone has finished by now? Any stories?

pablo t

2nd place yeeeeeehaaaaaaa!!!! Great running by Simon on last leg and from all the lads!! I'm here kissing the boards badge!! Or is it the SJ coat of arms?? Well done After 8s. Wish I was at the finish for the celebratory pints!!!

SJ for Taoiseach!!!

asimonov

Great team effort. every leg was bang on. A joy to be involved in. Felt a tad ropey at the finish mind you. Would have loved to have met everyone else on the team, but sean, Angus and warren were very patient considering I was a babbling mess afterwards - thanks to Mick for putting it all together.

Slogger Jogger

What a day. Beforehand I reckoned we'd a realistic chance of say 5th. But, the Wicklow way relay can play funny games sometimes and over the course of the day thanks to great runs from Paul Tierney, Sean Fox, Mags Greenan, Helen White, Angus Tyner, Warren Swords, Torben Dahl and Simon O'dwyer - a fairly random bunch of people who have never before all met :-) - we moved from 5th, to 4th, to 3th and eventual 2nd place after a rip-roaring final leg run from Simon who probably went too fast and played with a spot of heatstroke as a result. So 2nd place in the relay. Brilliant. A great, great event. Well done to the overall winners Rathfarnham AC who were head and shoulders faster than everyone else.

BeepBeep67

Having a runner on leg 7 without a recce was always a risky strategy and unfortunately it came back to bite us, went from 5th to 13th on that leg - not nice to be 2hrs30 in that heat, you live and learn.
I'm more wrecked after captaining and following the race than if I had run it. Fab day as always.

Mothman

asimonov wrote: »

Great team effort. every leg was bang on. A joy to be involved in. Felt a tad ropey at the finish mind you. Would have loved to have met everyone else on the team - thanks to Mick for putting it all together.

If ever there was an understatement. :eek:
asimonov I salute you, you went beyond the beyond, I thought I dug deep, but on a relative scale you'd be in Australia!!

Today's run was hard...really hard.

I ran a really good first 5/6k but then the heat caught up with me, got a stitch and it was a mighty struggle after. I did manage SJ's predicted time of 62mins, but was gunning for near 60 mins which was within reach till the stitch.

I'm delighted it worked out in the end and the collective work from everyone got a result!!!!

Thanks SJ, you had a lot of pulling together to do and it worked out in the end. I'll do a report later with splits comparison to last year.

nerraw1111

Whoop! What a day! Can’t believe we got second. Total team effort with a great captain, everything went like clockwork, we all kept the pressure on.

Asimonov put in some effort on last leg, hitting the wall 800 metres out and staggering over the line, not having a clue where he was to bag second with just half a minute to spare. Brilliant stuff. A nice shiny silver IMRA medal

Kurt Godel

Brilliant stuff from Boards, well done to everyone on the team with great runs, and Mr. Captaine Slogger Jogger overseeing the whole sheebang!

Have to say, asimonov's run for leg 8 is the stuff of legend- 4 minutes down at leg start, he had passed his target after 5k (and that lad is no slouch!). Must have been an insane speed you were going at to make up such ground. It's no surprise that you suffered heat stroke, and ended up scaring half of Shillelagh with a controlled collapse over the last 200m!:eek: Good to see colour return to your cheeks soon, that was a suitably epic way to get your team silver.

Great running from the peerless Rathfarnham, 7:09 in that heat!

Kurt Godel

The heat was a killer today! I found leg 4 unbearably hot, and that was early in the day! Our leg 8 runner suffered heat delirium with a kilometer to go- she had recced the route on Thurs, but still left the road, crossed a fence, ran through a barley field and thick forest, before collapsing at a strangers house:eek: So a DNF for us, but thankfully she is ok, and was brought back home safely.

Loads and loads of stories from this race, everyone involved will be talking about it for weeks and months to come! Great craic back at Shillelagh, sunshine & pints & banter...:D

Slogger Jogger

Kurt Godel wrote: »

The heat was a killer today! I found leg 4 unbearably hot, and that was early in the day! Our leg 8 runner suffered heat delirium with a kilometer to go- she had recced the route on Thurs, but still left the road, crossed a fence, ran through a barley field and thick forest, before collapsing at a strangers house:eek: So a DNF for us, but thankfully she is ok, and was brought back home safely.

Loads and loads of stories from this race, everyone involved will be talking about it for weeks and months to come! Great craic back at Shillelagh, sunshine & pints & banter...:D

Half the fun is finding out about the 'go wrongers'. Would be good to see all those garmin tracks. What happens the Crusaders runner on leg 5? What happened the Raheny runner on leg 7?

Thats some story about your 8th leg lady. Any relation to Simon? I'm burned and I was just sitting out. Didn't realise the burn til now.

In a way today was payback a bit for last year, when Boards were 3rd seconds away from 2nd. Delighted to be part of a great day.

ThisRegard

Nerraw was filling me in on your exploits, seriously impressive performance from your team SJ, now I see why you marshalled on Djouce, to warn your runners to save themselves for today.

Sounds like it was very exciting to be involved with, really looking forward to reading race reports on this one.

Well done again guys !

Enduro

Well done lads. Great result. Some day for it (was cycling all over Wickla, so know how hot it was out there). Sounds like it was good steady controlled racing did it for ye. Good stuff!

wideball

Just home after a few detours. Long day but a great day out.

Well done to all the team, savage running all round. Fair play to Paul (PabloT) making the trip from Cork for leg 1, to Helen and Mags for the picnic in Glendalough! Great running by Warren (Nerraw), Angus (Mothball) and Torben but special mention to Simon (Asimonov) for going beyond the call of duty with that epic last leg.

Special thanks to Slogger Jogger for organising the team and having to deal with the highs and lows of getting the team to the start line. I think the high at the finish line was worth the stress of being team captain.

My leg details for what its worth, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/182283260

BeepBeep67

Some pix from today in between duties: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominic67/sets/72157629909676002/

clubcard

First time doing the WR and loved it.Well done to all who took part.

asimonov

Wicklow Way Relay 2012 – After 8, leg 8 report

My preparation for this was sketchy. After Rotterdam in April my training had really fallen off a cliff but eating and drinking had not. Just to compound the ill-prepared effect I ran a 3,000m track race the night before, under the illusion that it would get my legs used to quicker turnover and make 10k pace feel relatively controlled.

SJ had done amazing work in the past few weeks in holding the team together. As circumstances changed and the race approached we lost a few team mates - but SJ managed to keep pulling rabbits out of the bag. With 24 hours to go our leg 1 runner, eanna sadly had to retire sick, but hey, how about uber-mountain runner Pablo T as a sub - a bare week after completing the BG round in well under the time required, traveling from afar to make his super early start.

8am Saturday morning brought the first of many team text updates. Each text brought positive news whilst subtly ratcheting up the pressure on us later runners. Paul (6th), Sean (6th), Helen (5th) Mags (5th), Angus (4th) – everyone taking places or taking time out of runners ahead.

At noon I met Torben at Crossbridge and we drove to Ironbridge (leg 7 start) to hear that Rathfarnham were miles ahead with Raheny second by about 15 minutes. Within minutes of us arriving All the presidents men runner, Martin Francis, set off on leg 7. 2 - 2.5 minutes later Warren arrived to set Torben off in 4th place but within shooting distance of Martin.

I headed over to the start of leg 8 and just in time to see Rathfarnham's lead runner cross the bridge. It soon became apparent that the second place Raheny runner had gone astray. As we scanned the mountain across the valley, Martin Francis was first to come into view, setting their leg 8 runner off in second place. So who was going to appear next? Attention turned back to the mountain opposite. Before anyone appeared I was thinking give me 1 minute down or 10 minutes down, just not something like the 3min that Pronator had to chase last year. Next thing a shout from SJ - Torben is approaching and he’s 4min down - oh sh1t. Torben comes into view looking absolutely wrecked, we are now in 3rd place – but with Raheny behind us - for how long?

The final legs breaks roughly into thirds. The 1st 3rd is the only section that is grass trail and fire road, the middle 3rd is half downhill half rolling hills and the final 3rd is net downhill to the finish.

I had planned to save my legs for that final third where I felt I could push on and gain time and hope the runners ahead would be starting to struggle. I picked my way through the trail section, just happy to follow the correct route before emerging onto the middle road section. Back on familiar tarmac territory I felt good at this stage, cruising, fast but controlled. Half way through the middle third as we hit the hills I caught sight of 2nd place and it dawned on me that I had actually run too hard. My breathing shifted from laboured to porno. I pushed on, catching and passing him on the big hill in that section. If it had been a straight road race I would have sat in and drafted off him into the breeze- but that just didn't seem fair today, so I maintained the pace - wheezing out a grunt of acknowledgment as I went by (it was the most I could do).

Starting the final third I could feel the heat and my legs were shot – I was running scared and running ugly - I expected to be caught by either the runner I had just passed or some speedy Raheny runner making up for lost time. My breathing had now developed into porno plus added involuntary Tourette-type yelps, garrrr’s etc. I struggled up and over the last hill and with just 2k left what was left of my form deserted me – and I was starting to stagger somewhat and wander across the road. It was all flat / downhill to the finish now, but with my legs fully tied up that was going to be a struggle. Got some words of encouragement from two guys warming down "lean forward on the downhills" - if only I could! Before the steepest downhill section into the finish I bonked completely, my will collapsed and I just stopped, given the choice I would have traded 126km of After 8 running just to finish there and then.

I looked back up the road and thought I saw the 3rd place runner stopped as well (more likely I think I was just seeing things) so gathered myself and started again. I don’t remember anything of the last 800m but was informed afterwards we took second place by 32 seconds - or about 150m or so over 127km of running.

I met Sean, Angus and Warren as soon as I crossed the finish line and for about 5min rode a wave of euphoria before crashing – feeling light headed, cold and nauseous. But the guys hooked me up with glucose, lucozade and bacon bits and in return I doled out some incoherent ramblings whilst enjoying some excellent visuals off warren’s psychedelic t-shirt.

At one stage I asked Angus to ring my wife but couldn't remember her number – so probably not my brightest hour! Captain SJ arrived and administered banana bread and gummy bears intravenously before we picked up our medals and prizes and he dropped me back to my car. Great to meet the Kurt and BeepBeep at the finish. I am a bit uncomfortable with the great final leg thing – if anything I pushed too hard too soon and if the race was any longer I could have blown a lot of hard work that the others had put in on the 117km before the final leg.

Thanks to Paul, Sean, Mags, Helen, Angus, Warren, Torben – we made up made some team of misfits and of course to Mick for all the hard work to give each of us the chance to take part, ok so we got a bit lucky with Crusaders and Raheny going wrong – but thanks to Mick we made no mistakes, and that was the difference. Congrats to both the Rathfarnham and All the Presidents men teams and kudos to everyone of the 320ish runners today who put it on the line in very tough conditions.