Gaelforce west gear

Reamonn7

Hi folks

I've signed up for gaelforce west this year, first timer, and I just wondering what is the best gear to have on the day.

So for example:
Should I wear trail runners or my GT2000 asics?
Should I get a running bag or running belt?
What food should I bring to have on the way round?

Please suggest anything that will be an advantage on the day.

My training is going well so I just want to be as best prepared as I can to avoid any surprises.

Thanks a mill

woody1

well your getting your questions in in plenty of time

1. trail runners . no question
2. i wouldnt bother, youl see about half and half with and without, cycling jersey with pockets wil carry all youl need if you need something, i leave grub gels etc on the bike, so first run kayak run i dont carry anything, grub, drinks etc on the bike, put grub gels whatever in your pocket going up croagh patrick, bring bottle with you if you want, and then you probably wont need anything for the finish, there is a water refill tank at the base of croagh patrick so you can re-fill bike bottles here if youve emptied them, also one at the kayaks i think,
3. up to you, gels, bars, whatever you get used to during your training , try out a few bits and see what works for you.

Reamonn7

Yup, no hanging around, it's only 174 days away 😀.

I read all sorts of stories about people getting caught out on the day because they didn't have various bits and bobs, so while the training is going good , Id hate to come a cropper on the day cause I didnt have the right gear.

Thanks

sconhome

No brainer on trail shoes be sure to check out if there is mandatory kit required and start gathering that. Be also worth training with a bag or pack if required for carrying gear so you know if it is comfortable or rubs anywhere on the body etc.

BeBetter

+1 for the trail shoes.

As for the pack or no pack it should depend on what your aim for the race is and the length of time you expect to be out there. As a rough guide (very rough) if you think you can finish within 5 hours and you want to push hard for a good time then you can do without a bag. If you're going over 5 hours or if your aim is a more steady race and get to the line then you should use a pack. It's basic logic that the longer you're out there or the slower the pace the more kit/food you're going to need.

Heisenberg1

Reamonn7 wrote: »

Hi folks

I've signed up for gaelforce west this year, first timer, and I just wondering what is the best gear to have on the day.

So for example:
Should I wear trail runners or my GT2000 asics?
Should I get a running bag or running belt?
What food should I bring to have on the way round?

Please suggest anything that will be an advantage on the day.

My training is going well so I just want to be as best prepared as I can to avoid any surprises.

Thanks a mill

OP I done it last year for the first time myself I would recommend you bring a small bit of food with for the first run to kayak I was waiting over an hour for a kayak. I'm doing it again this year best of luck its a great event.

Oryx

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

OP I done it last year for the first time myself I would recommend you bring a small bit of food with for the first run to kayak I was waiting over an hour for a kayak. I'm doing it again this year best of luck its a great event.

Thats not what should happen in good events...!

woody1

i think if you go in the later waves you could get caught with a wait, but an hour sounds like a lot,
the twice ive done it theres been a kayak waiting for me but i was in wave 1 ,
of course you do get the benefit of a break, but worth thinking about if your going to be in a later wave and hanging about for that length of time, youl want your jacket with you to keep you warm..

BeBetter

The organisers acknowledged that the kayaks didn't run well last year so I'd expect they'll have that running better this year.

Maybe someone here can correct me but I vaguely remember hearing that part of the problem with the kayaks last year was that they had trouble getting their hands on enough kayaks as there was some big event on in Wales that had pulled kayaks from all over the place. Or was I dreaming that?

To be fair to them they've taken on board feedback and learned from any mistakes made over the years. Many races would have gone for a more straight forward route to make it easier to run but GF have stayed with the same great route and I think they should be applauded for that. It's the one race where the kayak leg actually feels like a real part of the race, getting you from A to B, rather than the now common loop that takes you from A to A and feels like a bit of a token gesture.

Such a great course. Looking forward to this years event already!!

Enduro

BeBetter wrote: »

The organisers acknowledged that the kayaks didn't run well last year so I'd expect they'll have that running better this year.

Maybe someone here can correct me but I vaguely remember hearing that part of the problem with the kayaks last year was that they had trouble getting their hands on enough kayaks as there was some big event on in Wales that had pulled kayaks from all over the place. Or was I dreaming that?

To be fair to them they've taken on board feedback and learned from any mistakes made over the years. Many races would have gone for a more straight forward route to make it easier to run but GF have stayed with the same great route and I think they should be applauded for that. It's the one race where the kayak leg actually feels like a real part of the race, getting you from A to B, rather than the now common loop that takes you from A to A and feels like a bit of a token gesture.

Such a great course. Looking forward to this years event already!!

The big event could have been the Terrex in Wales, a proper adventure race. I think the CCAR kayaks went there alright, so you could very well be right about that.

The route has changed on many occasions over the years. Last year had a repositioned finish (again), AFAIK. The biggest change I can think of is the re-routing of the cycle approach to CP to eleiminate an out-and-back overlap which had potential to cause head on collisions. But it has been broadly the same alright.

The kayak leg definitely plays a role in GF alright, since it is an integral and necessary part of the course journey. But its still a piddling token kayak leg that requires very little in the way of skill or ability (as proven by the huge proportion of people who don't even hold their paddles the correct way up!).

BeBetter

Enduro wrote: »

The big event could have been the Terrex in Wales, a proper adventure race. I think the CCAR kayaks went there alright, so you could very well be right about that.

The route has changed on many occasions over the years. Last year had a repositioned finish (again), AFAIK. The biggest change I can think of is the re-routing of the cycle approach to CP to eleiminate an out-and-back overlap which had potential to cause head on collisions. But it has been broadly the same alright.

The kayak leg definitely plays a role in GF alright, since it is an integral and necessary part of the course journey. But its still a piddling token kayak leg that requires very little in the way of skill or ability (as proven by the huge proportion of people who don't even hold their paddles the correct way up!).

Can't argue with any of the above Enduro, I remember a change to the first run to avoid the big grass hill and people hurtling down the other side through the mud with just a wall to stop them at the bottom! That change actually improved the course I think. And then there was the cycle route change to go through the bog, adds a bit of hardship and avoids the two way traffic on the CP approach so no complaints there, and finally the finish line change, not 100% sure what I think about that yet. I suppose what I meant was that it's the most authentic course of any of the multisport races because of the integration of the kayak into the course. But yes you can't avoid the fact that 9 minutes of frantic splashing around will get you across the fjord within probably a minute of a decent kayaker thanks to the short distance and the sh1t-on-tops so it's not really long enough for technique or lack of technique to have too much of an influence. Having said that though as you know if you're competing at the top and you're 30 seconds behind the leaders when they group up on the bikes then you're going to struggle to stay in touch so strategically it's important at the head of the field.

And I know its not a proper adventure race but I love it and it's more accessible for those of us that can't fit multi-day events into our lives on an on-going basis. And for most people it's as much adventure as they'll ever see and it gets people off the sofa and out and about so it's all good in my eyes. I say well done to the Adventure Racers and well done to the Multisport Racers because the challenge is relative to the individual.