The Beast of Ballyhoura 2015 AR European Champs

sconhome

Not sure how to embed a HTML code in here or even if it is possible.

But here is the link to the Beast of Ballyhoura 2015 video teaser: http://vimeo.com/113591405

shotgunmcos

*rubs hands together*

Boy oh boy, I will be fitter and wiser this time round

This is a must do race if you like off road and testing yourself

Will we have TeamTriharder and TeamTrihrader #2?

I know a few last year expressed interest

swimforever

Does anyone know how quickly entries fill up for this once they open? I'm thinking about it but wouldn't be able to sign up for a while yet and it looks from their Facebook page that entries are opening soon.

lgk

When do you think you will know? It'll fill quicker this year, there has been quite a bit of foreign interest already. Causeway or those of us who know him will likely advice on here as spaces fill.

pgibbo

If it's a 72 hour race why does the video have 28th July - 3rd August? Are there multiple events?

sconhome

pgibbo wrote: »

If it's a 72 hour race why does the video have 28th July - 3rd August? Are there multiple events?

Festival atmosphere. People arriving 1 or 2 days ahead and setting up. Probably racing Thurs night to Sunday.

pot p

I'm hoping to get a team from work to do it.

StevieGriff

Just stupidly agreed to be part of a team for this. I'll regret this, my dodgy knee that doesn't like running will especially regret this.
It's a great excuse to buy a new MTB though..

Causeway

pgibbo wrote: »

If it's a 72 hour race why does the video have 28th July - 3rd August? Are there multiple events?

It's most likely that half the teams will travel from across Europe and to save in any confusion about dates the full dates expected from start to finish are on the video. Teams will have to be on site late on the 28th, reg. and kit sorting on the 29th, race although 72hrs will be spread over 4 days unless everyone wants to start with no sleep at all finish on the Sunday afternoon with prize giving and party on Sunday evening/night for as long as you can last. Travel home on the Monday.

Online entry set to open on New Year's Day. https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=1835

shotgunmcos

If someone is looking for a team I can put you in contact with a lad organising one. He is a good nav and knows this race inside out.

PM me if interested.

Will we have a second Boards team in this year?!

shotgunmcos

The Beast of Ballyhoura - Tuesday 28th July to Monday 3rd August 2015

Class: Mixed
Team Name: #TriHarderAR
Team Nationality: Irish
Team Website details: http://triharderar.com/
Team Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/triharderAR
Other Social Media details: https://twitter.com/TriHarderAR

Its real now!

mloc123

shotgunmcos wrote: »

The Beast of Ballyhoura - Tuesday 28th July to Monday 3rd August 2015

Class: Mixed
Team Name: #TriHarderAR
Team Nationality: Irish
Team Website details: http://triharderar.com/
Team Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/triharderAR
Other Social Media details: https://twitter.com/TriHarderAR

Its real now!

This is a race on my list for next year, maybe if somebody is organising a B or C team. Timing does not suit this year.

career move

Only 3 more places left in this year's race

shotgunmcos

The Lineup

Some random googling of teams and there is serious quality. Particularly if Adidas Terrex join the fray (Enduro will get a run for his money). Maybe 72hrs is too sprinty for them :rolleyes: More of an international lineup for the Beast than there was for Godzone!! (although not sure how non European teams are in for the European Championship final )

Undoubtedly teams sussing out the Irish AR scene ahead of ITERA next year.

Gonna be Epic

Enduro

Great line-up! Will be a superb event. No such thing as too sprointy for Adidas Terrex... they're (extremely) good all round.

lgk

shotgunmcos wrote: »

although not sure how non European teams are in for the European Championship final

Non-European teams will be omitted for the European Championship rankings.

Looking like they'll hit the 40 teams, should be epic!

Enduro

lgk wrote: »

Non-European teams will be omitted for the European Championship rankings.

Looking like they'll hit the 40 teams, should be epic!

They've exceeded 40, and now have capacity for another 10!

lgk

Enduro wrote: »

They've exceeded 40, and now have capacity for another 10!

Dang, I meant to type 50! Hope Ivan pays more attention to the numbers than I did . Moving 100 kayaks, 200 bikes, 200 duffle bags, 50 food boxes, etc. etc. about should be an interesting challenge.

BeBetter

Folks if anyone hears of a team looking for a substitute member could ya give me a shout? Would like to join a team this year and gain some experience.

shotgunmcos

Gone quiet on FB. Ivan and crew obviously out planning where they are going to bury those CPs in a few weeks

72 hours
3 days
450+km

Starting to feel real...

Team #triharder plotting and learning from our mistakes last year

Neady83

Kit list got updated. It looks like we'll be doing some climbing or abseiling

pgibbo

What are your plans around sleep? How much will you take and when?

I was watching a race on Eurosport recently - the one in Wales I believe and the top teams had little to no sleep over 72 hours. Machines!!!!

Neady83

Wowser, I don't think we'll be able to keep going for 72 hours without sleep, that's nuts.

We had a quick chat about it at the weekend and figured that we can make the best of plans to get an hour or two of sleep between 12 and 1 or 2am, try to sleep when it's dark, but it really will depend on how we're all feeling. If one of us is really suffering at any point, we'll make a team call to get some winks. We know from C2C that we can keep going for 26 hours and we're starting any time between 6 and 9am so we'll hopefully keep going until the following night so it could be 36 hours before we take our first break. Then again, who knows, this is our first one so we don't know what to expect.

Maybe Team TriHarder have a better plan having been through it before?

shotgunmcos

Woohoo, ropes and climbing

In the 2012 beast I was in a team with Enduro. The race was 36 hours. Enduro is about the best person in the country to do an AR with. He can go for days. We ended up sleeping for an hour roughly 21 hours into the 36. It was a team decision after one of the team lay down on the road for a snooze and Enduro himself began navigating his way into ditches on the bike. An hour in foil blankets on the hard floor of a GAA hall felt like seconds but it perked the team up no end and we rocked on.

Last year Team triharder slept for 10 minutes in 40hours. We had a bit of a team meltdown 4 hours later so not sure it was the right thing.

72hours will be too long to go with no sleep. The top teams like Adidas Terrex (ranked #3 in the world) will blast it on virtually nothing. Novice teams will need more. The rule of thumb being an hour sleep per 20 hours racing or so I've heard. That could turn into 2x 60-90 min kips or as Neady alluded, ad hoc naps where a team needs to get through a rough patch.

There are also dark zones in longer races, where you are not allowed on the water after a certain time stamp. If you reach that point in the dark, up to you whether you want to party or sleep

Enduro

Its one of those things that you can theorise away at for months beforehand, but in the end you'll probably end up figuring out your tolerances dynamically on the race.

Two big factors to be taken into account though

(1) Ireland is wet. You can't just stop anywhere to sleep (in general). So sometimes you find you just have to keep going because it would be unsafe to stop. Similarly, sometimes potential sleep points need planning, or grabbed with gusto when doscovered on the fly.

(2) Whoever is navigating needs to stay lucid (Everyone else can be away in lal-la land without too much of a problem!!), so if the navigator has lost his mind due to sleep deprivation then you either need someone else to take over for a while, or everyone has to stop long enough for the navigator to get his head together again.

shotgunmcos

Wow kit list is bigger this year... gonna be fun!

Team Kit

• 1 X Set of Maps OSI & Orienteering Maps (all supplied by event)
• 2 X Indelible felt tip pen
• 2 X Mobile phone (with dry bags). These will be sealed before event start and should only be used in the event of an emergency
• 1 X First aid kit (1crepe bandage, 1 triangle bandage, 2 safety pins, 1 wound dressing & 6 adhesive dressings as a minimum)
• 1 X Bike repair kit (at least sufficient to repair puncture and broken chains)
• 2 X Compass
• 4 X Duffel bag (approx size 80L, No padded bike bags or boxes)
• 1 X Large Drybag (to hold wetsuits, kayak back rests and PFDs)
• 1 X Tent
• 1 X Shelter (bothy) big enough for your entire team, and to be carried on all stages that tent is not carried. (don't try to cramp all 4 into a 2 person shelter, your life may depend on it)
• 1 X Bike lock (large enough to lock 4 bikes together)

Individual Kit

• 1 X Climbing Harness
• 1 X Prusik
• 2 X Screwgate carabiners
• 1 X Climbing Helmet
• 1 X Abseil Device (figure of 8 or ATC)
• 1 X Short Sling (approx 60cm)
• 1 X Mountain bike
• 1 X Front bike light (a good head torch will do)
• 1 X Rear bike light (must be fitted to the bike at all times)
• 1 X Head Torch
• 1 X Spare batteries for all lights
• 1 X Cycle helmet
• 1 X Whistle
• 1 X Space blanket/bag (foil or orange type)
• 1 X Full leg cover (must be carried if not worn)
• 1 X Spare Long Sleeved Top
• 1 X Waterproof Coat
• 1 X Waterproof Trousers
• 1 X Rucksack
• 2 x Roll of duct tape (For bike boxes)
• 1 X Wetsuit (Full length arms and legs, suitable for coasteering/caving type activities, good strong footwear also recommended for this section)
• 1 X Full change of clothes for after the event (Recommended not Mandatory, we will not be finishing back at the event centre, showers and hot food will be available at €30 per team)

Dilbert75

Do ye know where the start and finish points will be?

lgk

Finish is likely to be Event HQ at the University of Limerick sports grounds, no one will know the starting point until much closer to the time. All we know for now is a bus will take competitors to the start, maps may only be issued once teams arrive at the start location.

Neady83

lgk wrote: »

Finish is likely to be Event HQ at the University of Limerick sports grounds, no one will know the starting point until much closer to the time. All we know for now is a bus will take competitors to the start, maps may only be issued once teams arrive at the start location.

I don't think the finish is at the event centre, the last item on the individual kit is a full change of clothes for after the event (Recommended not Mandatory, we will not be finishing back at the event centre, showers and hot food will be available at €30 per team).

So to sum up, we really don't know anything only that it will be a tough 72 hours

lgk

Neady83 wrote: »

I don't think the finish is at the event centre, the last item on the individual kit is a full change of clothes for after the event (Recommended not Mandatory, we will not be finishing back at the event centre, showers and hot food will be available at €30 per team).

So to sum up, we really don't know anything only that it will be a tough 72 hours

Ivan has that on all his race kit lists, has been on the Beast list for as long as he's been running it, and the finish has always been the event HQ for the years I've been doing it.

Neady83

lgk wrote: »

Ivan has that on all his race kit lists, has been on the Beast list for as long as he's been running it, and the finish has always been the event HQ for the years I've been doing it.

Thanks for that, it's good to know, one less thing in the kit box

lgk

Neady83 wrote: »

Thanks for that, it's good to know, one less thing in the kit box

No prob. You'll have extra space this year with the duffle bag per person, more gear required to go in it though. Not clear if will there be a food box per team or will that need to go in the duffles as well?

shotgunmcos

Had contact from a girl this morning looking to join a Team, if anyone looking... ?

On her way back from Oz and has podiums at shorter <6hr races etc...


4 weeks to go!!!

lgk

lgk wrote: »

Ivan has that on all his race kit lists, has been on the Beast list for as long as he's been running it, and the finish has always been the event HQ for the years I've been doing it.

Just reading through the kit list online there and it now says 'we will not be finishing back at the event centre'!

shotgunmcos

The live tracker link

10 days to go.... :pac:

sconhome

http://beastofballyhoura.com/downloads/details.pdf

Gulp!!

lgk

AKW wrote: »

http://beastofballyhoura.com/downloads/details.pdf

Gulp!!

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

Neady83

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

..... and the finish line is in a remote location :eek:

shotgunmcos

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

Yeah Race start time is same as finish time on Sunday. Hardly finishing before midday so 3hr30 bus to #godknowswhere, what are we doing for the couple of hours before race start? :eek:

At least we are getting maps Wednesday night

What team are you on lgk?

lgk

Neady83 wrote: »

..... and the finish line is in a remote location :eek:

Yeah, they updated that on the main site a couple of weeks ago. Food available at the end, and there will be buses back to the HQ. Hope the weather is nice!!

sconhome

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

I wouldn't rule it out!!

Was chatting a while back about the likelihood of the Wild Atlantic Way featuring heavily in the Beast at some point but thought it would be saved for ITERA 2016.

lgk

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Yeah Race start time is same as finish time on Sunday. Hardly finishing before midday so 3hr30 bus to #godknowswhere, what are we doing for the couple of hours before race start? :eek:

At least we are getting maps Wednesday night

What team are you on lgk?

One Track Mind this year.

Agree on the maps, will give us something to obsess over way too late into the night.

sconhome

First thought when I saw breakfast baps I was thinking of the pub in Portnew where we transitioned after the kayak last year.

Neady83

When I signed up to the team the Swimming section said only three members have to swim but it's been updated to this:

Swimming - teams will be required to cross rivers, lakes or coastal sections. For swim sections all members of each team must swim, PFD’s will be available if you feel you need one, and may be mandatory on some sections.

Gulp, I can't swim.

sconhome

Neady83 wrote: »

When I signed up to the team the Swimming section said only three members have to swim but it's been updated to this:

Swimming - teams will be required to cross rivers, lakes or coastal sections. For swim sections all members of each team must swim, PFD’s will be available if you feel you need one, and may be mandatory on some sections.

Gulp, I can't swim.

Suggest a tow line and one of these:

Neady83

AKW wrote: »

Suggest a tow line and one of these:

I'd be ok with that, thanks AKW

sconhome

Seriously though, no swimming ability at all?

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

No idea what is coming up but unlikely (I hope) to have a triathlon type swim leg.

Neady83

AKW wrote: »

Seriously though, no swimming ability at all?

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

No idea what is coming up but unlikely (I hope) to have a triathlon type swim leg.

I can float on my back in the pool and move around a bit but once my head realizes that my feet can't touch ground all hell break loose

It's gonna be interesting

lgk

AKW wrote: »

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

We tried a tow line last year, with me on the end of it. Didn't work well, guy towing kept getting his legs caught up in the line. So if you're considering it. maybe do what we didn't and try it out beforehand if you can.

pgibbo

Neady83 wrote: »

I can float on my back in the pool and move around a bit but once my head realizes that my feet can't touch ground all hell break loose

It's gonna be interesting

What about a buoyancy vest?

Neady83

pgibbo wrote: »

What about a buoyancy vest?

They will have PFDs available so I'm sure I'll be ok with that, as AKW said, hopefully they won't be long swims