Gaelforce Dublin 2019

Squall Leonhart

In typical fashion, it looks like I may have bitten off more than I can chew, and signed up to do the 49km course on March 23rd 2019.

It involves 15km of a run, 33km cycle and 1.5km kayaking.

I believe the run is off road and up and down hills.

The problem?

Wellllllll I can't run 500m at the moment, I'm several stone overweight, I don't own a bicycle and I've never done much more with a kayak than a leisurely splash on some lake in Michigan a few years back.

I'll be doing it with a (fit) friend. It is a bit mad but I've agreed as it'll give me a focus and something to work towards and help me discipline myself with exercise, diet and lose weight.

I haven't much of a track record with running. 4 years ago I did a half marathon in Phoenix Park, and it nearly killed me haha, but I ran it til about 17km and then walked/ran/hobbled the rest. I had about 10 weeks of training before that from a similar starting point.

I'm hoping to get some constructive, encouraging advice on where to start training. I will need to get a bike to practice, but a second hand cheap one! I don't even know what type to be looking for.

fletch

You might get a better response on the Triathlon / Duathlon / Adventure Racing forum

Some threads in there already (although not specific to your training) but may give some insight into what to expect. I have done the event in the past...my observations were that, as hill runs go, the hill run isn't that tough or hilly. It's very runnable...I don't think I walked once. The cycle was tough...lots of very steep inclines/descents and the roads were slippy. Sounds like you have got a lot of work to do to get ready for it. (I wouldn't be the one to be doling out advice) Best of luck...it's a great event.
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=106129301
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101062713
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105727873

M.m.m.

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

In typical fashion, it looks like I may have bitten off more than I can chew, and signed up to do the 49km course on March 23rd 2019.

It involves 15km of a run, 33km cycle and 1.5km kayaking.

I believe the run is off road and up and down hills.

The problem?

Wellllllll I can't run 500m at the moment, I'm several stone overweight, I don't own a bicycle and I've never done much more with a kayak than a leisurely splash on some lake in Michigan a few years back.

I'll be doing it with a (fit) friend. It is a bit mad but I've agreed as it'll give me a focus and something to work towards and help me discipline myself with exercise, diet and lose weight.

I haven't much of a track record with running. 4 years ago I did a half marathon in Phoenix Park, and it nearly killed me haha, but I ran it til about 17km and then walked/ran/hobbled the rest. I had about 10 weeks of training before that from a similar starting point.

I'm hoping to get some constructive, encouraging advice on where to start training. I will need to get a bike to practice, but a second hand cheap one! I don't even know what type to be looking for.

Well 15km is very doable if you start training now. Its only 9 miles, you could do a walk run effort, run on the flat and walk up the hills. Download a beginners running plan off the internet for a ten mile race and that should give you some structure.



You should try and find out what kind of bikes they're using by reading their website. If its on road then a racer. They do tell you what kind you need. You should be able to pick up something second hand on any adverts.ie or donedeal etc. Try and get someone whos knowledgeable about bikes to help you out. The cycle part should be okay but you'll still need to get out at least once a week and make sure you have a helmet and lights.


The kayaking can be tough, theres places around Dublin like Malahide that run classes. It would be worth taking a few and you might enjoy them.

tHE vAGGABOND

The 2019 version is on next week, I have been running - but I have been on the bike for about 1 hour total in 2019 and not been in the canoe or Kayak at all for a single minute.

If this was a running race I would tell the person not to bother - but I guess I could drop down to the shorter distance and just get around the course for an interesting morning..

I guess Im not all that bothered, but I have paid the entry so should get my ass in gear

tHE vAGGABOND

So going to do the long course. Just doing it for fun.

Done virtually no cycling. So don't mind that the hard bits fo the cycle will be hard - I know that they end eventually

Done a decent bit of running [for a fun run!] I did 8 and a half miles last weekend with no bother. Real life issues [and the fact that I was not too bothered!] gave me a time goal of 90 odd minutes but could have gone on easy. I have been running 4 or 5 times a week and adding in a few hills, so I will be grand.

What is interesting is that I have been doing Low Carb [and very low sugar] and high fat for over a month [very successfully, 5 1/2 KG down] - so doing it with no carbs inside me, will be interesting; but all about burning some extra fat [even if its painful!!]

Found my Pulse Tri kit from 5 or 6 years ago [that I *never* wore, not even once] the other day, so going to give that a run out I think!! So if anyone else doing it, I will be the person bet into the black pulse tri kit :eek:

Squall Leonhart

Well that was brutal. Woefully unprepared, savage Hills, pure torment.

Unbelievable that it was won in 2:10

Payton

You finished it...be proud of yourself.

tHE vAGGABOND

Finished it, but also disgracefully underprepared. But at least I knew I was going to be going into it. So I started totally happy that it was for fun and nothing else

Enjoyed it, even the [..too many..] bits I was walking. The poor ****er in a Kayak with me, I was utterly useless, and he was mid to late 20's and had rather hoped to go quicker than I was able [again, being old and fat, I can laugh at that where some years ago I would have been really morto!!!]

The 13k run was only 10.5k odd by my watch. That is the only bit that really annoyed me, as its no worse than the hill in west cork I run 3 or 4 times a year. But I had to walk stretches of it on way up.

I will do another, and train for it and know the equipment to bring. I will enjoy it even more as a result

The Noble Nudge

How was there such a mess with the podiums places..
Lad who won it last year thought he won by a big margin but had only ran to the sport run course marker and "sent back" by a marshal ended up disqualified!

tHE vAGGABOND

I only did the short cycle final leg, as I was just blindly following the person in front of me - but that was me [as such I appear in 25th place for over 40's - rather than last

But I was very unimpressed with on-course marshalling. Fair play for giving up their time etc - but in the case of that person on the hill, for the 29k turn around had a TINY sign and he was playing with their phone when I ran past - paying zero attention.

But in the case of the person who won last year, they should know the course and suspect something odd going on when they are running back down the hill at around 4k or so, not at 7k or so - so they are partly to blame.