Time for a New Adventure

January 15th to 21st
Monday:
AM: 60mins Wattbike (32km)
Did the Strength and Power Cycling Workout (40mins high intensity) from the Global Cycling Network youtube channel. Sweaty and ball busting.

Tuesday:
AM: 60mins Wattbike (28km): including a 30min High Intensity workout from the Global Cycling Network youtube channel.

PM: Club session:
Warm up, drills, 10x1min off 1min recovery, cool down, drills. Not built for speed.

Wednesday:
AM: 60mins Wattbike (28km): 40min tempo on the Passo Falzarego & Passo Valparola
PM: 1.5hours of yoga

Thursday:
AM: 2.3miles @ 10:00 - 8:00/mi (21mins)
AM: Circuits
PM: 12.3miles @ 9:06/mi (1:52)
Cold night for a long run out towards Barna with Lonan - this used to work well as he'd be tired for the Tuesday night session but now that my legs are tired from the Tuesday night session, I'm dragging him down to my level.

Friday:
AM: 15mins Erg
AM: 2.34miles @ 10:00 - 8:00/mi (30mins)

Saturday:
13.1miles @ 8:45/mi (1:55): Headed to Lees road to do the Run the Banner 5km and met up with my brother to do a bit extra before the race (3 loops of the 5km route in preparation for Donadea). Miserable morning but great to get it down and dusted so early. Didn't have much punch left in the legs for the 5km.

Sunday
Brick Session:
13.1miles @ 9:25/mi (2:03)
60mins Wattbike (30km): 1min bg/4min lg x 12
15mins sauna
Waited for it to dry before heading for the hills however I was turned around by floods on loads of roads (which still resulted in soaking socks & runners) so ended up doing loop the loop on a sharpish hill near Dangan covering 300m for my sins.

Totals for the week
Running: 7hrs 41 (50miles)
Circuits: 1hr
Wattbike: 4hrs 15
S&C: 1hr 30
Rowing: 15mins

February 19th to 25th
Week of the Glendalough Clover, only one week of training since I was sick so no idea how to approach this week in terms of training and tapering given that I’d tapered. Ah well, I may as well have a good crack at it and be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Monday:
AM: 20mins Wattbike (10km with some BGs) & 20mins S&C
PM: 1hr S&C class with a pro, great class, really loosening everything up
PM: 3.4miles @ 849/mi (30mins)

Tuesday:
AM: Circuits
PM: Club session of 400, 800, 1200, 800, 400
Warm up, drills, session, cool down, drills
Went off at the tail end of the second group. Could hardly keep them in sight for the 400. 800 not much better, no power at all in my legs. 1200: I was bent over after 400m with a stitch in my side, something I never get. Last 800 and 400 no mans land. Terrible session from me but 6 miles in the bag.

Wednesday:
AM: 30mins S&C
PM: Yoga

Thursday:
AM: Circuits
PM: 3.3miles @ 9:17/mi (31mins)

Friday:
AM: 3.25miles @ 9:14 (30mins)
Not really necessary but keeping up my Lenten promise to do 30 minutes of some exercise for each day of lent going.

Skipped out on work early to pick up Owen and head to Laragh in Wicklow to settle in for the Clover the next day. Got to Laragh around 7 and checked in to the hostel in the village, we’d a dorm to ourselves and it was nice and toasty. Grabbed some food in the bar, met John S and chatted about the race the next day and patted ourselves on the back for being in bed by 9:30. This NEVER happens the night before a race, we’re usually ridiculously unorganised, haven’t eaten by ten and get to bed around midnight completely frazzled. Goooooooooo us.

Fall asleep at about 11 and some goon slams the door of the hostel and comes charging up the stairs roaring like a lunatic bull in a China shop. I make a dash for the door to lock it in case he comes crashing in but he quietens down quickly. My heart is in my mouth and all I hear is Owen tossing and turning all night obviously having as much bother as me getting to sleep. So nada on the sleep front.

Saturday: Glendalough Clover 80km with 3,000m
The Glendalough Tucker Trail consists of three legs which all leave and lead back to the Glendalough upper lake car park so Glendalough was our base camp for the day and only one drop bag was needed.

Leg 1: Heading West, take in the Spink loop around the lake in Glendalough and St. Kevins Way as far as the Wicklow Gap and back for 25km with 835m.

A quick photo shoot at the lakeside and 3, 2, 1 we’re off. John, Owen and I settled in to a nice pace at the back of the back and we start with a gentle trot downhill. Before long we’re on some rocks and I tell the lads to belt on without me as I need to stick to my own pace. A gap grows between John and Owen and I and Owen and I chat away. Around the lake and onto some boardwalk. Somehow I find myself out in front and we get chatting to Sharon and Mark who come up behind us, we chat about upcoming races and the CCC – Mark has done it twice so I’m asking heaps of questions. I ask all of them to head out in front of me but they’re ok to follow even though I’m slow as hell coming down the steps – I’m always afraid the lugs in the shoes will catch on the nails so I’m a bit clumpy on the boardwalks.

It’s a nice crisp morning, bit of a bite in the air but you can tell that it will be a great day. Some ice on the boardwalks here and there but nothing we couldn’t work around.

Back through Glendalough and we head out St. Kevins Way along the river. I spot a house across the water that I recognise, it’s Kierans cousins place. We must invite ourselves up here for a weekend ☺ Owen and I come upon Alicia, Gail and Lar along this road. Alicia was in the Dying Cow last year when I was doing the WW and we’ve chit chatted online since. She’s a Mum, does all her training before the sun comes up and has been training to do the Wicklow Round. She’s an amazing person. We have a laugh about the kinds of clouds that are in the sky and wonder if we’ll still be chirping about the clouds and doughnuts when we’re at 70km ☺ Owen and I belt on.

We get to the off road section before the turn around and I’m falling behind Owen. He slowly slips away and I’m on my own. It’s incredible to see these top guys and gals racing, tip toeing over the bog as they come down the track against me. It’s quite windy here and I have to negotiate a river crossing before getting back on the road. On a summers day, you’d rejoice in running through the water but today, it’s ice cold. As I’m tenderly hugging the rock, a man beside me wades right in and he’s shivering as he emerges. I’ve no idea why he did that but I don’t see him on the course for the rest of the day.

Heading down the road and Lar catches up with me, he’s still chirping away. I swear he’s taken rocket fuel or something, there’s no way he can keep this level of chat up for the day (he does!!!). Before long we’re back in Glendalough, I’ve a bottle of flat coke which we share, I top up on water and Tailwind and before long we’re on the road again.
Leg 2: The Wicklow Way North as far as Oldridge, around Lough Dan and onto the beach before turning around to make 30km with 1,100m.

I know this route as I jogged most of it on the WW in the opposite direction. We start climbing and I’m feeling ok. Lar pokes a dead Badger. We have a chat about road kill. Up through the forest and out the other side. We come across some hunters camped near a gap in the ditch and hope that they don’t put any of the trail runners out of their misery. Before long we’re at the checkpoint at Oldbridge where I open the gate for John S and he comes flying by. We’ve a quick chat (John is looking strong and feeling good) and Lar and I rock on. Down a narrow technical rocky lane and I can see the beach at Lough Dan and it’s beautiful white sand.

Here we catch up with Adolfo, I ran much of the WW with Adolfo last year, he’s a very cool guy. Grab a token to bring back to the checkpoint to prove I was at the beach (take pictures for the lads) and we’re away again. We meet Alecia and Gail at the Oldbridge checkpoint, they’re feeling some niggles so decided to call it a day and not risk injury. I found the stretch back to Glendalough quite tough. My lower back was sore and my legs just weren’t cooperating really, they were feeling every step – the return journey just felt looooooooong. I begin to ask myself why the hell do I sign up for these things, like 80km is never going to be a walk in the park especially when it has a 12 hour cut off. Finally we made it back to Glendalough and Lar is still chirping away.

My knight in shining armour, AGYR, was waiting in the Baltic cold to see me come into transition. Big hugs and a nice chat while I change into my road runners and I whinge about how dang tough the race is and how tough I’m finding it and all the aches and pains I have … whinge whinge whinge. Sorry AGYR, I don’t know what got into me. You perked me right up though with your words of wisdom, you rock. Runners on, new lease of life and plenty of time to get the last leg done, I shout some abuse to Lar to stop chatting and get running. It’s amazing how quickly you get to know someone when you run the hills with them.

Leg 3: The Wicklow Way South as far as Glenmalure making 25km with 1,020m.

I was DREADING this section of the WW, I recall this climb going on forever and ever in the WW race and the thought of it may well have contributed to my whinge fest back in transition. I recall there being a diversion off the WW on this section. We turn left after the waterfall and my spidey senses tell me that we should have gone right. I stop and take out my map – Lar tells me he knows it like the back of his hand and we’re on the right track though my map tells a different story. I show him the map and show him where I think we should have turned right but he convinces me that he knows better. Ok, onwards and upwards we go.

We meet a guy coming down the hill against us, he thinks we’ve missed the diversion but again Lar tells us we’re bonkers even though we’re pointing it out on the map. At the top of the hill, I see our yellow man has been covered with black plastic, we are gone wrong. Internally I’m a bit pissed as I’m worried we’ll miss the 5pm cut off in Glenmalure as we’ve wasted at least 20 minutes on this climb. I tell the lads we’ll be grand and I put the foot down on the decent and keep the momentum going on the uphill when we get back on track. Lar is apologetic and before long it’s all forgotten – you couldn’t be mad for long out here.

On the last bit of the climb we meet some kids coming down the hill with large rug sacks and ask them if they’re camping out but they’re not, they’re heading back to the hostel. Around the corner we meet three adults who are supervising and the well-rounded one who was obviously Ross O Carroll-Kelly shouts “only fourty kilometres to go goys, it’s not a major deal, genuinely like”. Not as hilarious as he thinks he is but I have a giggle as it’s the first time that I’ve heard anybody speak with that accent.

I cannot believe it when we reach the top and get onto the boardwalks, this isn’t quite as long or as tough as I remember. Down the stone steps and the twisty road to Glenmalure and we meet John S again, he’s a powerhouse, smiling and smashing his first 80km race. Lar tells me about the history of this place, the battles that were fought here and about the mobile sauna that’s parked beside Glenmalure (which we don’t have time to test).

We’re flying down the hill and very quickly we’re at glorious Glenmalure with 25 minutes to spare. There’s no flat coke left so I grab a jaffa cake to stuff in my mouth, don’t really need the fuel but drinking Tailwind all day gets a bit boring and I’m looking for something to munch on.

We start the last looooong climb of the day and before long we’re at the stone steps where the forest has been felled – I’m flying up the steps on an absolute high. We look back down the hill as the sun begins to set and it’s majestical …. This is why we do this, to be here breathing fresh air, making good buddies and seeing the sun set on a glorious day.

A nice trot down the hill where we chat briefly to a Polish dude from Limerick. I’ve forgotten all about my minor melt down earlier in the day and it’s not long before we’re trotting into Glendalough and without having to turn on the head torches, result. My nose is torn asunder from wind burn and blowing it all day but overall I’m not in the worst shape and I've got a new BFF

11 hours and 14 for the lot, 6th and last girl home. 21% of starters DNFd.

It was a tough enough day out, I need to remind myself just how hard these races are on the body. Thank god for cruise control in the car on the drive home after the race IMRA rock and I’ve already signed up for the Maurice Mullins Ultra in April.

Sunday
3.61miles @ 11:05/mi (40mins)
Reluctantly went out to run the lactic acid out of the legs. Hips in a jock and I’m limping like the bag lady but it eases out after about 20 minutes and I think I might resemble a jogger by about mile 2. Tough as it was to go out, it was a good trot to loosen up everything. Nice hot bath to soak away the stiffness after.

Totals for the week
Running: 14hrs 25 (70miles)
Circuits: 2hrs
S&C: 3hrs 20

denis b wrote: »

Like the report S. Great experience and none more so than that gained from the navigation error. Our absolute conviction, with evidence, about what is right, and how it is eroded or benignly undermined in demanding situations. I think it is something all of us experience in our lives and it is worth reflecting on. It jumped out at me from your report so maybe I should take ownership of that but felt it was worth commenting on.

Love the idea of the looped routes, and coming home three times. AGYR was well placed there.

You're very right, we can doubt ourselves very easily under difficult circumstances. It's a fantastic route for a race - it's a real boost to come into Glendalough three times and easy logistically to organise the drop bag drop bags.

SureWhyNot! wrote: »

Great race report.

If you wouldn't mind sharing it would make a great addition to the race reports for the event on the IMRA site. Any runner can add a report once logged into the site. Helps add a sense of the event.

Great run, well done and best of luck with the next one.

GB, RD for the Clover.

Thanks so much GB, to you and your team, ye did an epic job to run a smooth race. I said it in my report but IMRA rock, I only wish I wasn't so far away from yer races - it would be great to get out with ye more often.

I'll edit my report and put it up over the holidays. Thanks for reading.

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Goes off to look up Maurice Mullins Ultra.... Ooh it's in Wicklow again! See you there

Well done S, it's absolutely awe inspiring watching all you mountain runners in action especially over such epic distances, well done again!

Thanks again AM ... yup, I've got a hunger to go back and try to not be quite so broken after the WW this year

March 12th to 18th

Monday:
AM: 4miles @ 10:04/mi (40mins)
Out for a run along the river in Bolzano in the afternoon with Kie. Met friends of ours who live here for dinner and Roberto mentioned a trail marathon that happens in Bolzano during the summer. Checked it out when we got home from dinner and it looks pretty cool, 121km with 8,000m, 69km with 4,000 and a 27km with 1,000m for Kie. Seriously tempted. The 69km would be plenty good enough for me.

Tuesday:
AM: 6.2miles @ 9:51/mi (61mins)
Another afternoon run and finally sampled some gelato (no chocolate because of lent though), it’s just not as good when it’s not chocolate. We’ve an apartment so we ate in today, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. The tomatoes are to die for as is the local wine.

Wednesday:
A day of rest but we walked loads soaked up the mid day sun. We also booked the rail race, flights and the apartment to return in July – this pace is AMAZING. Would love to bring the bike as there are cycle tracks for 60km to the neighbouring cities.

Thursday:
AM:4.2miles @ 10:59/mi (46mins).
We did this in the AM with our friends and took in a great hill with lots of switchbacks, stunning morning to be out and about.

Friday:
Another day of rest. We walked lots and Kie popped the question while we were out for a walk and the sun was setting. Totally shocked but managed to say yes. We opted for German food after with lots of great dark German beer brewed in the restaurant (Bolzano was occupied by Germany so 25% of the population is German).

Saturday:
6.2miles @ 9:14/mi (57mins). Slightly hungover but we’d arranged to meet our friends for a run. They drove us outside the city and we picked up the cycle patch by the river for an out and back run.

Watched the match in the Irish bar in town. The only Irish there but it was heaving with Italians who were really embracing the spirit of St. Patricks day.

Sunday:
2.6miles @ 9:56/mi (25mins). A quick last run with Kie before we took the train to Munich to catch a delayed flight home.

Totals for the week
Running: 3hrs 50 (23miles)
I had this week pegged as being a potentially great week of training with all the hills but it turned into a really relaxed holiday. Looking forward to getting back into some big volume weeks of training as there’s lots coming up in April.