GFW 2012

pauldoo

Don't see a thread for this, anybody doing it this year??

Will be first time doing it. training is going well so far, did a 11km run yesterday followed by a 45km cycle, both on hilly terrain. need to get some hill runs in and some more of what i did yesterday

Hopefully the weather will be better than this crap at the moment

Rew

Yeah group of us in the 5.30am wave, our 2nd year doing it. Did 10.5k run and a bit of a cycle in the phoenix park Saturday to start getting down to some proper training.

woody1

il be there, first time for gaelforce, have done a few of the others..
need to get the finger out on the cycling, tons of running both on and off road done but sweet eff all cycling..
that said i was out on the course last weekend 23rd, did both off road sections and croagh patrick
plan to do the first run and cycle this weekend.
not looking to set any records in the race itself.. middle of the pack will do nicely
some good clips on youtube for anyone looking to get an idea of the off road surfaces in particular..

Rew

woody1 wrote: »

y
some good clips on youtube for anyone looking to get an idea of the off road surfaces in particular..

Those are probably mine, must put a few more up!

woody1

out on the course again at the weekend, started at delphi and cycled climbed and cycled again into westport
glad i got to see it, theres 2 mental downhills in it, so to anyone doing for the first time, make sure your brakes are working..
me poor bike seemed to take an awful shaking on the off road sections and then the last hill with bad road surface.. but i has survived, glad it wasnt expensive
otherwise i didnt find it too bad.. if i can go at a similar pace on the day il be very happy..
anyone else here doing it, hows yer training going, what times are ye aiming for..etc...

pauldoo

woody1 wrote: »

out on the course again at the weekend, started at delphi and cycled climbed and cycled again into westport
glad i got to see it, theres 2 mental downhills in it, so to anyone doing for the first time, make sure your brakes are working..
me poor bike seemed to take an awful shaking on the off road sections and then the last hill with bad road surface.. but i has survived, glad it wasnt expensive
otherwise i didnt find it too bad.. if i can go at a similar pace on the day il be very happy..
anyone else here doing it, hows yer training going, what times are ye aiming for..etc...

was there many inclines on the cycle??

my training is goin well, the last few sundays i have been doing a 15-16km run followed by a 35km cycle and i feel fine afterwards. doin both the run and cycle separately during the week too.

not too bothered about what time i finish in, will be happy to make it to the end

woody1

one serious climb bit less than halfway into the first cycle,
a couple of long drag type climbs on the bog road section close to cp and a couple of short sharp ones that wouldnt be bad if they were on road but because its on loose gravelly stoney stuff there just isnt much grip,
but mainly its the one about halfway into the first cycle,

you can see the profile here

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/15913214

first climb around 25k, second one in the bog at about 42k.. didnt find that one as bad and we were cycling into a tough wind at that stage..

training going better than i thought based on the weekend, have to do a 150k cycle and climb cp for charity on 5th august, im hoping thatl bring on the cycling a bit more ( or else kill me ) .. and then probably 2 weeks of just ticking over til gaelforce,

havent ran and cycled together yet.. been concentrating on cycling for this charity thing and running before that .. the way things are going im not going to get many combined days in, will just have to wing it,
fair play 16k run and 35k cycle together is good going

pauldoo

cheers for that.

I hope we have a northerly wind on the day, would make life a lot easier.

woody1

we were fairly shoved along by the wind from delphi to the turn off back to croagh patrick for about an hour, but then we had to face back into it ( kind off, crosswind and then head on ) on the bog and with no hedges / cover for a lot of it it wasnt fun..
friend of mine has done it twice before said it blew the same way both years he did it, hopefully behind us but not as strong as the weekend maybe..

pauldoo

did you run through the boggy part?

hardCopy

7:30 wave for me. Did it in 6:53 last year but looking for a big improvement this year, have shed over a stone since then and have a marathon, 3 half marathons and a half ironman under my belt since then.

woody1

pauldoo wrote: »

did you run through the boggy part?

sorry bog road..so unsurfaced road, hard packed stone and sand and gravel, fine if a bit rough in sections, other sections, about 300 yards on the other side of croagh patrick are uncycleable in my opinion..sheet rock and big loose stones.. so yeah jogged.. and carried bike on shoulder.. but for the most part although rough its cycleable..

woody1

hardCopy wrote: »

7:30 wave for me. Did it in 6:53 last year but looking for a big improvement this year, have shed over a stone since then and have a marathon, 3 half marathons and a half ironman under my belt since then.

im in the first wave..friend going at the same time..will be at the back of it i imagine but anyway..
wary of predicting a time yet, didnt find the weekend too bad at all but that was all done on fresh legs..no run or kayak in it..

pauldoo

woody1 wrote: »

pauldoo wrote: »

did you run through the boggy part?

sorry bog road..so unsurfaced road, hard packed stone and sand and gravel, fine if a bit rough in sections, other sections, about 300 yards on the other side of croagh patrick are uncycleable in my opinion..sheet rock and big loose stones.. so yeah jogged.. and carried bike on shoulder.. but for the most part although rough its cycleable..

Sorry meant the 3km boggy run?if so,is it bad?

hardCopy

pauldoo wrote: »

Sorry meant the 3km boggy run?if so,is it bad?

From (not entirely reliable) memory, the off road section of the first run and the approach to the reek were the muckiest bits.

The section between the bike drop and the start of the zig-zag path up the reek was very mucky when I ran it a few weeks ago.

woody1

pauldoo wrote: »

Sorry meant the 3km boggy run?if so,is it bad?

nah sorry didnt do that run..took me long enough to get there, couldnt afford to be looking around for the start, ive heard its seriously mucky for about 1k of it though..

woody1

hardCopy wrote: »

The section between the bike drop and the start of the zig-zag path up the reek was very mucky when I ran it a few weeks ago.

didnt find that too bad last weekend, suppose depends on point of view...did a lot of hillwalking years ago so im kind of used to it and worse

Peterx

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/108310353
Garmin Profile of the 2011 course for anyone that wants it.

The boggy run is indeed boggy, depending on the previous weeks weather your foot will possibly sink past your ankle. However, it is only about a kilometre and your feet are already soaked from either the first run or getting into the kayak.

Do not, under any circumstances, wear shoes which have a goretex layer. It's like wearing wellies, you'll be shloshing around all day. Fast draining trail shoes, a good pair of socks and forget about your feet until the finish line.

hardCopy

woody1 wrote: »

didnt find that too bad last weekend, suppose depends on point of view...did a lot of hillwalking years ago so im kind of used to it and worse

Yeah it'll probably depend on the weather the week before, we did it on a dry day but it had been raining all week.

As Peter said, forget about your feet until the end.

Last year I remember trying to hop from dry spot to dry spot on the first bit of off-road until I hit a little puddle that ended up being a shin-deep pothole.

Skilgannon79

Peterx wrote: »

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/108310353
Garmin Profile of the 2011 course for anyone that wants it.

The boggy run is indeed boggy, depending on the previous weeks weather your foot will possibly sink past your ankle. However, it is only about a kilometre and your feet are already soaked from either the first run or getting into the kayak.

Do not, under any circumstances, wear shoes which have a goretex layer. It's like wearing wellies, you'll be shloshing around all day. Fast draining trail shoes, a good pair of socks and forget about your feet until the finish line.

Was up at Croagh Patrick last weekend, went straight up the side and found it wet alright but not too bad, if the weather stays any bit dry I'll be taking that route. Came straight off the side then and made it down in no time, I've Inov X-Talons and they're brilliant for that kinda terrain. Made it up in just under 26 mins after cycling out from Westport but it'll be a different story on the day after the run and a longer cycle. Some poor sod broke his leg or something up there, mountain rescue were on the way up to him.

After you come off the rough off-road section of the Western Way (the rocky bit) where you join back up with a small road and start the downhill........ this section of road is in pretty bad nick this year. There are a lot of pot holes and some of them have been filled in with loose chippings. And you know the result of loose chippings, thin wheels and high speeds??? Hopefully no-one will get hurt along there this year, maybe someone will go out with a brush before the big day and sweep them off!

woody1

Skilgannon79 wrote: »

After you come off the rough off-road section of the Western Way (the rocky bit) where you join back up with a small road and start the downhill........ this section of road is in pretty bad nick this year. There are a lot of pot holes and some of them have been filled in with loose chippings. And you know the result of loose chippings, thin wheels and high speeds??? Hopefully no-one will get hurt along there this year, maybe someone will go out with a brush before the big day and sweep them off!

agreed that hill is shocking ! had both brakes on and was still belting down it, between the ruts and holes on the sides, the grass and gravel in the middle and in the holes its unreal, the hedge is well out on both sides too on whats already a narrow road, my back wheel was hopping all over the place.. i was wondering what it would be like with a few bikes on it all weaving to find a decent surface....dog at the bottom decided to chase me..nearly put me in the effin hedge..

Q7

Skilgannon79 wrote: »

Was up at Croagh Patrick last weekend, went straight up the side and found it wet alright but not too bad, if the weather stays any bit dry I'll be taking that route. Came straight off the side then and made it down in no time, I've Inov X-Talons and they're brilliant for that kinda terrain. Made it up in just under 26 mins after cycling out from Westport but it'll be a different story on the day after the run and a longer cycle. Some poor sod broke his leg or something up there, mountain rescue were on the way up to him.
!

That's some time - don't think anyone make it up CP in under 26 mins last year. Padraig Marrey who came 3rd was over 28 mins and he's one of the best. We'll expect you on the podium

Skilgannon79

I couldn't believe it myself when I stopped my watch but no doubt I'll be adding 5 mins to that time when you add the run and cycle into the legs! PeterX is safe enough, he won't have to worry about me! Sure I can't cycle for sh1t anyway!!

nerraw1111

The bog run is immediately after the kayak. It's about 1km long and a bit of a leg sapper.

Will the weather affect route choice for CP? Can't see it making much of a difference. Straight up will hardly be that wet?

Skilgannon79

Going across to the left from where you dib in can get badly flooded in spots, as in you could be knee deep in water but for the most part you can pick your way around it so unless its very wet that's the direction I'm going regardless!

pauldoo

What sort of training have you guys been doing??

Rew

Boggyness and mud is also dependent on the wave your in. The course gets trashed as more waves go over it.

woody1

Rew wrote: »

Boggyness and mud is also dependent on the wave your in. The course gets trashed as more waves go over it.

one of the reasons i was talked into going in the first wave, even if im going to get dropped. just hopeful that a few other fools like me will go for the first wave as well

pauldoo
training.. bit of everything and nothing very structured
running since the start of the year for a few different races, started to bring cycling into it only really this month but getting a lot done, doing one long 60 k + cycle a week as hilly as i can get and then at least one and hopefully 2 other short ones....lucky in that i live in mayo to start with and have been on the course twice , been up croagh patrick a couple of times earlier in the year and will be up at least once more before it as well...most disorganised training ive ever done..but getting the mileage in nonetheless...some weeks out 4 /5 days a week others 3.. guy doing kayak lessons / trips for a fiver down the road from me so i mite take advantage of that soon as well..

ThisRegard

Wouldn't worry about thinking you'll be left alone in the first wave, you'll have all sorts in with you.

Rew

ThisRegard wrote: »

Wouldn't worry about thinking you'll be left alone in the first wave, you'll have all sorts in with you.

Yeah we saw quite a few non-elite elites last year in Wave 1 while waiting for Wave 2 to start. I personally didn't find the bog run to be very boggy but the terrain was very strength sapping. You hit the road very quick and go down hill to the lagoon and main road. Its pretty flat from there to the bikes. The bikes were in one huge puddle last year so you might find that bit boggy!! I ran with the bike to the transition exit and got on there.

Enduro

woody1 wrote: »

sorry bog road..so unsurfaced road, hard packed stone and sand and gravel, fine if a bit rough in sections, other sections, about 300 yards on the other side of croagh patrick are uncycleable in my opinion..sheet rock and big loose stones.. so yeah jogged.. and carried bike on shoulder.. but for the most part although rough its cycleable..

In my experience it's all 100% cycle-able. Mind you, you do need to be able to ride your bike, rather than just sit on it and pedal (not being facetious... good bike handling skills are hugely beneficial in all sorts of ways).

Skilgannon79 wrote: »

After you come off the rough off-road section of the Western Way (the rocky bit) where you join back up with a small road and start the downhill........ this section of road is in pretty bad nick this year. There are a lot of pot holes and some of them have been filled in with loose chippings. And you know the result of loose chippings, thin wheels and high speeds??? Hopefully no-one will get hurt along there this year, maybe someone will go out with a brush before the big day and sweep them off!

Seriously??? Do you really think someone should be tasked with sweeping stones off a road before something that calls itself an adventure race comes through? Maybe they should remove all the rocks from Croagh Patrick while they're at it :rolleyes: Listen, you know the route, you know the potential dangers. You can choose the tools necessary to safely negotiate the course. If you choose inadequate tools for the job (like, say, thin wheels that you don't think are safe for the course) then you have nobody to blame but yourself for any consequences that arise as a result of that choice.

woody1 wrote: »

agreed that hill is shocking ! had both brakes on and was still belting down it,

Time for new brake pads I think (at minimum). One of the biggest single improvements you can make to your cycling speed, especially downhill, and even more especially on anything technical, is having better braking power. The more confidence you have in your brakes stopping you quickly, the faster you can go.

Skilgannon79

Shall I introduce you to the concept of a joke Enduro?? I don't think anyone expects the course to be swept for us?? If I had asked for lollipops for everyone on top of Croagh Patrick would you have criticised that as well?

Enduro

Top tip for jokes (especially ironic or sarcastic jokes) on the internet... use smilies. Tone of voice does not come accross in typing.

And the reason you need to highlight irony is that the reality of the suggestions people have come up with, in all seriousness, is staggering. These include: that the course of a race needs to be changed because its rough and causes punctures, that loose rocks on a run need to be signposted because they are potentially dangerous, that the lack of mile markers was disgraceful cheapskateedness, and best of all that the GFW organisers should surely spend twenty grand or so to tarmac over the rough bits of the course (that really was a genuine suggestion from some bright spark). So in that sea of "just doesn't get it" your joke is easily lost.

woody1

a lot of people reading this arent as lucky to live as close to the course as i or some others here do, we have the opportunity to get on the course before the race and pass on our thoughts to others... and get feedback from the likes of you thats done it before and in that way inform people..
in fairness you were 4th or 5th if i remember rightly one year and you have some serious experience in terms of what you would call real adventure races so your opinions might differ slightly from the average poster here

i dont expect or particularly want anything to be done about the road, im just letting people know what i think its like.. no more than id expect the bog road to be re-surfaced in tarmac or the reek to have a handrail installed..

as for everything being cycleable.. i did say in my opinion... not all of us can be sh*t hot on their bike..and i have my doubts that much more than maybe a third of the field if even that will cycle over that bit..fair f*cks to those that do but id rather run 300 yards with the bike than chance it, im not going to win the lost few minutes wont worry me

the thought crossed my mind about the brake pads , but they look new enough, and in fact the back brakes were rubbing so definitely tight enough,i only have the bike about a month, second hand from a bike shop but the pads look new with little wear.. will probably talk to the guy in the shop.. a little bit more bite wouldnt go astray..

woody1

you jumped in in the middle there before i was finished typing.... ignore rant please...

Enduro

woody1 wrote: »

as for everything being cycleable.. i did say in my opinion... not all of us can be sh*t hot on their bike..and i have my doubts that much more than maybe a third of the field if even that will cycle over that bit..fair f*cks to those that do but id rather run 300 yards with the bike than chance it, im not going to win the lost few minutes wont worry me

You did indeed quote it as an opinion. It just doesn't fit with my experience. Essentially I'm just offering another opinion, but one backed up by having done it.

Saying that not everyone can be good bike riders strikes me as being an awfully defeatist attitude. It's probably not true either. If you (broad you, not you personally) want to then of course you can address any skills or fitness weaknesses. The easiest way to get faster in any multi-sport event is to address your weaknesses rather than re-enforcing your strenghts. Bike handling skills are just another attribute that, like running speed or cycling strenght, will cost you time if you don't train/practice enough. It's potentially lots of time too, as good bike handling reduces the chances of getting puctures or other mechanical issues.

I learnt my bike handling skills mountain biking (I'm by no means sh*t hot by mountain biking standards). Mountain biking, as well as teaching you handling skills, is in my experience the most fun sport in Ireland. It's also great fitness training because of the climbing that is generally required. It's win-win.

woody1 wrote: »

the thought crossed my mind about the brake pads , but they look new enough, and in fact the back brakes were rubbing so definitely tight enough,i only have the bike about a month, second hand from a bike shop but the pads look new with little wear.. will probably talk to the guy in the shop.. a little bit more bite wouldnt go astray..

Was it wet on the day? You can get different types and qualities of brake pads, some of which will be designed to work better in wet conditions. Expensive wheels with ceramic rims also need specific types of pads, but I doubt too many people bring those wheels to GFW. Make sure the rims aren't too worn down either, since it is second hand (they're probably fine on a road bike, unless its really old). Since the brakes are rubbing, it definitely needs a little servicing. It's easy to that yourself, but most bike shops will give any bikes they sell a free one month servicing, since cables etc loosen up with their initial usage.

woody1

in general terms i wouldnt be defeatist at all,
but improvement is going to come with practice and i aint gonna get enough practice between now and the race..but hopefully for other races...ive enjoyed the couple of times ive been on it so i wouldnt rule out doing it a bit more..although it would require buying a mountain bike..which is a sickener as i sold one not all that long ago..

yeah it was wet-ish..and i would be able to fix the rubbing brake issue myself anyway but i just couldnt get over how much the bike was still motoring even with the brakes jammed, just assumed it was normal given the steepness of the hill..and probably rain and sheep sh*t on the rims..
definitely not expensive rims..


yep shop owner said to bring it back in for that, after the rattling it took at the weekend it might be a good time..

Skilgannon79

Enduro wrote: »

Top tip for jokes (especially ironic or sarcastic jokes) on the internet... use smilies. Tone of voice does not come accross in typing.

And the reason you need to highlight irony is that the reality of the suggestions people have come up with, in all seriousness, is staggering. These include: that the course of a race needs to be changed because its rough and causes punctures, that loose rocks on a run need to be signposted because they are potentially dangerous, that the lack of mile markers was disgraceful cheapskateedness, and best of all that the GFW organisers should surely spend twenty grand or so to tarmac over the rough bits of the course (that really was a genuine suggestion from some bright spark). So in that sea of "just doesn't get it" your joke is easily lost.

Apologies, I had stuck in an exclamation mark thinking it would do the job, I'll upgrade to smilies in future

I can see your point alright Enduro, these courses are supposed to be tackled in whatever form nature throws them at you. I think you do have to make some allowances for the average Joe as well though. The level that you compete at is beyond comprehension for most people and a lot of people on here are relatively new to adventure and multisport races (very careful there not to describe GFW as an adventure race!!) and would probably be more used to road races or triathlons and are using them as a frame of reference, hence the strange requests. Personally I think the rougher the terrain the better, but I still think its worthwhile pointing out changes in the course for people who can't do a recce beforehand. Like myself at the weekend I came off the end of the off road section and started barrelling down the hill on the bike only to find the surface had changed quite a bit and I was just about able to bring the bike under control before launching myself face first along the road! Don't want to change the course one bit but also don't want anyone to break bones!

Actually maybe someone could pick up some of the sheep sh1t along the Western Way??

Enduro

woody1 wrote: »

in general terms i wouldnt be defeatist at all,
but improvement is going to come with practice and i aint gonna get enough practice between now and the race..but hopefully for other races...ive enjoyed the couple of times ive been on it so i wouldnt rule out doing it a bit more..although it would require buying a mountain bike..which is a sickener as i sold one not all that long ago..

Welcome to the world of cycling, where the right number of bikes = the number of bikes you own + 1

woody1 wrote: »

yeah it was wet-ish..and i would be able to fix the rubbing brake issue myself anyway but i just couldnt get over how much the bike was still motoring even with the brakes jammed, just assumed it was normal given the steepness of the hill..and probably rain and sheep sh*t on the rims..
definitely not expensive rims..

You *should* be able to stop the bike (not instantly, but in a relatively controlled manner) no matter how steep or wet the hill (and in the end, even though it's quite steep, and definitely in truely crappy condition, its still not an alpine descent!), so something mechanical needs fixing. I've had similar "pull brakes, very little happens" episodes with my road bike on wet days, and its not a comfortable experience. The next set of pads I put on the bike happened to be more wet weather pads, and the difference was huge. With fresh pads it was back to being more like the stopping power and certainty of disc brakes. Make sure to let the lads in the shop know to do whatever is necessary to sort that for you. It'll be money very well spent.

shotgunmcos

Sure you can always stop quicker by diving off! Wouldn't put it past some of these AR loans!

gigantic09

Done this race once before 3 years ago.Not signed up yet but prob will this weekend.At the reek stage i recall that everybody seemed to be taking the shorter steeper route up.Is this still the preferred choice?.Think i will be taking the zig zag route this time and hope not to loose much time.Also i believe the initial run is slightly different and the off road hill climb is out.Does this mean the run is longer and is the new part of the run mainly on road or off road?.

woody1

ive tried both ways this year and i havent made my mind up yet.. probably the path..but it might come down to what everyone in front of me is doing at the time ..

Peterx

gigantic09 wrote: »

Done this race once before 3 years ago.Not signed up yet but prob will this weekend.At the reek stage i recall that everybody seemed to be taking the shorter steeper route up.Is this still the preferred choice?.Think i will be taking the zig zag route this time and hope not to loose much time.Also i believe the initial run is slightly different and the off road hill climb is out.Does this mean the run is longer and is the new part of the run mainly on road or off road?.

The initial run is now about 2km longer and instead of running over the first steep little hill and steep descent before reaching the Fiord it now skirts around that hill and joins the Fiord earlier, more road and more trail.
Unless you feeling very good heading towards the zig zag is probably better, Padraig Marrey possibly took an optimal line last with starting the zig zag track and cutting out part of it, it's all much more runnable that way.

nerraw1111

Peterx wrote: »

Unless you feeling very good heading towards the zig zag is probably better, Padraig Marrey possibly took an optimal line last with starting the zig zag track and cutting out part of it, it's all much more runnable that way.

At what part did he cut do you know? As in he left half way up the zig zags and headed straight up?

I found straight up and down to be quicker, particularly coming down.

gigantic09

Thanks for info Peterx.Times on initial run are very impressive considering it's alot longer than previously.I think that climb up the reek was the most difficult thing i have experienced in any event to date.Agree with previous poster that direct route down is the way to go but don't think my legs would be able for that route on the way up.Wish i had lined up this race earlier in the year as preparation far from ideal.Did the reek last week and still feeling the effects which isn't a great sign.

thehamo

Whats the terrain like coming down the side instead of the zig zag? (or going up for that matter) Past 2 times ive done it CP is the biggest time waster for me. Might consider the straight up and straight down option....

nerraw1111

thehamo wrote: »

Whats the terrain like coming down the side instead of the zig zag? (or going up for that matter) Past 2 times ive done it CP is the biggest time waster for me. Might consider the straight up and straight down option....

Some heather on climb itself. Useful to pull yourself up. Terrain is solid on way up mtn, just very steep.

Bit boggy in parts between the mtn and transition. Could lose time if you're not a good descender or if you're legs are fecked on the way up. Coming down is straight forward. Pick your own route and stay on your feet. Anytime I've done it, a fall would be cushioned by heather.

Skilgannon79

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Some heather on climb itself. Useful to pull yourself up. Terrain is solid on way up mtn, just very steep.

Bit boggy in parts between the mtn and transition. Could lose time if you're not a good descender or if you're legs are fecked on the way up. Coming down is straight forward. Pick your own route and stay on your feet. Anytime I've done it, a fall would be cushioned by heather.

Agree with nerraw, straight up is solid once you're off the flatter ground at the base but it is steep so it depends what you've left in you're legs at that stage. Coming straight down is definitely the best option if your legs are any way ok and even if you fall you have the cushioning of the heather! A good pair of trail runners really come into play on the way down here, it allows you to keep rolling forwards without having to worry about grip. If you're in road runners you might find it a bit more difficult to maintain grip and could spend a bit more time on your @ss but you should have nice soft landings.... hopefully!

hardCopy

I went up the heather and down the zig-zag last year, I'll probably try the opposite this time.

LaHaine

Very jealous of all doing it this year. I loved gaelforce west last year. Has its issues like any race but definitely my favourite race ive ever taken part in.

Great atmosphere in westport all weekend. From everyone munching on pasta the night before to all the limping bodies in the pubs the evening after the race is over, its just great craic. Enjoy!

nerraw1111

Anyone got any last min accommodation suggestions? Hotels, self catering etc