We had sunshine, snow, hailstones, crazy cold winds, muck, bog holes and steep climbs. sounds like fun huh?
All started with bootcamp..
keeping my body all flexible helps me in many good ways…
bootcamp keeps my body very fit aside from everyday training, BC is based on Yoga moves mixed up with nature movement its why its so good for runners!
So this is how cross training is great for us ( me ) and helps my body stay fit and healthy.
my training can be from 2-3 small sessions a day mixed up from road cycling - slow tempo runs then BC session for an hour or two then another one to one session with someone, but all the time moving keep my body well “Oiled” ha!!!
I thought about doing the solo after I didn’t make the Wicklow Ultra 51k this year I had signed up for it and was ready to race! but cause the race was the same weekend as my Mountain rescue training,
So I had to pull out, I wanted to have a longer race by IMRA done this year and what great timing for my new BIG adverture coming this summer!! so took on the solo as a training run.
after some chats to my good pal Chris we had said we team up and go for the solo and help each other when needed.
So roll on race day!
I was out training on leg 1 -2 & 3 just to make sure I knew the routes well, on training day was mostly sunny with some rain or fog little Nav needed.. and coming up to the race I took the week off training to recovery from all my training and bootcamping as wanted to have fun on this race and not over stressed my body to much!
So night before the race as always I had the best nights sleep!
I never over thing of a race as “O NO” what happens if this or that? I don’t care I just run, hike or laugh along the route, do what you can and have lots of fun! racing for me Isn’t about winning I try to have as much fun as can!
42k mountain marathon race I worked it out thinking I’d be really happy if I took home 6hours and if all goes bad just under 7hours! and took home 6:25mins GPS time and found it very tough going. it wasn’t a race where you can just RUN all the time. there was so much open mountains and for those not used to that it’s finding your own path from lake to lake making sure you don’t step into any POG holes! which I did HIP down in muck just laughing !!
“While asking my team to pull me out” .......... what you think they said….?
YES your all right!!! ....... They said “NO WAY” were not going in there we go round !!!! OK so its JuJu on his own here but it wasn’t as bad as that!!! got out with the little skills I do have on the mountains !!!! and started to run covered hip down with MUCK! as I turned around to see my pals I see one of the lads had fell maybe knee dip into a other part of the bog! love karma!!!
So on with the running if anyone knows when falling into bog holes it really drains the power out of you full stop! but am not one for giving up so easy and having good pals helps you push on…
We passed leg 1, and 2 and rolling down to CP-3 awaiting for our MSR team who had more water ready for us with food etc many know I never eat while running but I knew this race would kill me and I wanted to eat on this day for my training for my BIG NEW adventure which is still going ahead this summer its one of the BIGGEST adventures for me yet and it will take HOURS! so part of the training is to find out the best foods for me to eat while running!!
list of my old runs:
Running to Dublin 49k on 2013 with group of pals on one WOW super summer WARM day took us 7:10mins taking our time with lots of chats, pics and eating & drinking from rivers along the way…
after that year I wanted to try run to my mums in Dublin trail to road with out eating anything along the way and so I did and took me 7:10mins but running a 54km in 2014 ratter then 49km in 2013, and my next big race was up north at the 26 Extreme 62k trail race in 2015 which I was very happy with doing that in 6hours 10mins and ran strong with out eating anything along the race in till just after 50k mark as I got some sore pains in my arm and said I better eat something from there..
something worked!!! we learn from our mistakes and move on!!
Which takes me onto my WGL 2015 - 42k MOUNTAIN RACE
and WOW what a super route and well done to Gerry Brady for all his great work and IMRA for putting it on, this has to be one of the best races in the year of IMRA not that I’ve done all them but from the point of Navigating your own route to the faster way right to one of the 7lakes on the route is just ACE! as we all left the Hotel running at a good pace faster then my training pace I said OK THIS IS WHAT RACING is all about and go with the flow! I RAN OUT FAST with everyone not looking to win anything but just just get warmed up and ready to hit the hiking part of leg 1, its a great start as you can run along St kevin’s route while warming up before hitting the steps to heven !! from there its back onto the road for wee while and then on to the side of Brockagh heading for Lough Ouler Lake . funny as most of the runners were all picking their own routes with some going up higher and few falling down to the side where I was in the mid, but once closer to the top we all met back up and raced to the lake! I feel the race started then!!
leg 1 was coming to an end as we ran down of Tonelagee with legs warmed up for sure and happy cause we have to start running up Turlough hill with few little short cuts but still all up hill to top and then was all go over to 2nd lake called Lough Firrib from there was great fun running into the Bog holes before making our ways to three lakes and soon to be end of leg 2,
the route was very TOUGH one of the best routes of the longer IMRA races yet.
this race is running what you can and power hiking the rest and it can be very STEEP so use of your hands is needed at times!! it’s an all good all over body work out with lots of fun!
so this took us onto leg 3 maybe the tougher leg of them all while running the solo as its very steep in places to Art’s lough and then climbing to 800meters but soon on top your dropping down and running right back down to other side meeting Kellys lough while following the rules that IMRA has made and enjoying the race at the sometime… and WOW what a great race.
I ran the best I could while guiding 2 others at the same time was more fun then I thought!
we worked as a team helping each other when needed ( well not in my bog hole!! )
So race coming to an end soon meeting end of the Zig Zags and seen Eva and Patch waiting for us taking pics here we all ran along the road to CP-4 start of leg 4 the last leg. stopping for few mins while we all had little bit of food and drinks, dropped off my bag as my shoulders were getting sore and I just wanted to stay light!
so we started up the next steep hill where we hiked to the top and then ran what we could and hiked the rest to the top and think I passed out with sun heat for few mins!!! but soon back onto my feet and we all pushed back down the last hill of the day Wicklow Way to Glendo on fire roads which was great for feet even tho we hate fire roads at times!!! then meeting the last 2 lakes of the day ( where I found hard cause all I wanted to do was jump in the lake)!!!
Chris & Brian two great runners which I loved running with made a great team for MSR and thanks to everyone helping us along the day. Eva driving from CP’s & having that great looking face to see coming in to CP and Patch with his very happy head to see his Dad!! thanks to Derek & Yvonne for helping out too! and all the helpers from IMRA its a great day to be helping us all..
RACE ALL OVER and ran in to the hotel with out known what time it was but had a good feeling we got under our mark!!!
all 3 of us ran in the same time at 6:25 GPS moving time and 6:33:45 IMRA times for us 3. next year we wont be stopping for pics and chats!!! but then again this is all good part of racing! having fun, chats & pics!!
peace