Prince William's Seat
Forum Messages
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin O'Riordan | May 4 2011, 11:46pm | Still need a laptop operator and first aid officer for this race. |
| Mike Gomm | May 8 2011, 4:54pm | I will be doing the course early as usual so will be available to do the first aid. all the best. mike |
| Mick Hanney | May 8 2011, 8:46pm | Since the request was posted, I've since volunteered for 1st aid for this b4 you, so you are off the hook. I'm sure theres another opportunity around the corner :-). Regards, Mick |
| Eoin Keith | May 9 2011, 2:32pm | Unfortunately we've lost our laptop operator for Wednesday's race, so we're looking for a new voulnteer! I've added a note on this year's race route. Coillte have been quite active in the local forest of late. As a result this year's route will be modified slightly. The route up to Prince William's seat will be the same as previous years, along with the return route to the Wicklow Way and down past Raven's Rock towards the fireroads. However instead of turning right on reaching the fireroad and taking the long loop through the forest, this year the course will return back through the "tunnel" route and down the same fireroads as used in the climb. The overall effect will make the race slightly shorter and a little more technical. |
| Pól Ó Murchú | May 9 2011, 3:19pm | Hi Eoin, I've volunteered now. I've done the training and I'm fairly ok with it but may need a bit of a help but I'm sure with yourself and kevin about will be fine. |
| Pól Ó Murchú | May 9 2011, 3:19pm | Hi Eoin, I've volunteered now. I've done the training and I'm fairly ok with it but may need a bit of a help but I'm sure with yourself and kevin about will be fine. |
| Eoin Keith | May 9 2011, 3:33pm | Thanks Pol. That's great. Sinead will also be around to shadow the laptop, so it's a perfect opportunity to take the plunge! We could do with a few more non-running volunteers, if anyone would like to volunteer. |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | May 9 2011, 5:02pm | Eoin, I've just volunteered there. Can marshal and demark or the like if that suits you. If you're full up on volunteers I'll hold off until another time that I'll be of more use. |
| Keith Tormey | May 10 2011, 2:58pm | Am I supposed to receive confirmation emails if people accept my offer of a carpool? I have not received anything yet, so if whoever put their name down can drop me a mail or text to arrange a meeting point that would be great. |
| Eoin Keith | May 10 2011, 3:13pm | For Tomorrow's race please note... If you haven't registered for this year yet please register for the race before 7:00. If you have run alrady this year please be in the registration queue before 7:10. Registration should open at 6:15. The prizegiving is at the Powerscourt Arms in Enniskerry. There is a large carpark there, and a public car park next to it which makes for an ideal location for carpooling. As usual, please try and carpool as much as possible. There farmer who is giving us his field for the race car parking is asking that a donation be given to charity, so please give generously to the collector as you drive in. We will be using the back room of the Powerscourt arms for the prizegiving. As sual, there will be an ample collection of spotprizes given out to those present. Last week had nearly as many prizes as people, so do make the effort to enjoy the social aspect of IMRA and turn up! Finally, could I ask the volunteers to try and make it to the carpark for 6:00. Thanks all |
| eoin hardiman | May 10 2011, 5:28pm | Eoin, Two of us can do non running volunteering. do you still require people? eoin |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | May 10 2011, 10:09pm | Eoin, it will be closer to 6:30 I think before I can get down, will make it as quickly as possible. |
| shane jenkinson | May 10 2011, 10:49pm | Keith I was looking to get a lift with you. Working in sandyford so I can grab the luas to cherrywood no bother! My number is oh86 three512752. Thanks! Shane |
| Sean Hassett | May 10 2011, 10:53pm | Anyone travelling to the race passing near Dundrum or near a Luas stop that could offer a lift? |
| Torben Dahl | May 10 2011, 11:28pm | Sean, I am coming down the N11 and can offer to pick you up at Brides Glen Luas stop around 18.15. Give me a call Wednesday on 0eight9 4three3 73eight1 if this suits you. Torben |
| Keith Tormey | May 11 2011, 10:33am | Hi guys, Unfortunately I will not be able to make this evenings race now. I have been in touch with 2 of the people who opted into my car on the carpool list. I'm not sure who the other person is, as I never received a notification email. If you read this, I apologise for the inconvenience! Does anyone know how to remove my car from the list? |
| Peter McNeill | May 11 2011, 11:18am | I'll be at Bray DART station from 6.10pm until 6.20pm(after Dublin-Wexford train departs) if anyone needs a lift to the start. Look out for a Hyundai Trajet (silver) near Henry & Rose chip shop. We will also look out for anyone at The Powerscourt Arms. Pete |
| Eoin Keith | May 12 2011, 12:04pm | A big thanks to everyone who helped out at yesterday's race. From my point of view everything went extremely well. Much appreciated! There was a lot of positive feedback about the new return route. It was also the closest racing finish I've seen to an IMRA race in a long time. Well done to all! |
| Mick Hanney | May 12 2011, 2:44pm | A race report from either or both of the lead 2 is a must! And even when Barry doesn't win he's still 100% :-) |
| Barry Minnock | May 12 2011, 4:45pm | As Requested - also on my blog (cheap plug): http://www.barryminnock.com Prince Willie’s conjures happy memories within (the hill, not the person – time to rename this peak :) Two appearances, two victories – would three out of three be possible? I was keen to recover from defeat in Bray and my current nemesis, Tom Hogan, was back for the battle. I was well beaten in Bray, feeling particularly unfit after a recent injury spell. Two weeks later and I was feeling stronger. The start was relatively calm. No Colm Hill this year to spice up the pace from the gun. Surprisingly Tom and I opened a gap within a short period. There were a few in the field who easily could have tagged along, but perhaps decided to play safe and race for third. Having been demolished by Tom up the hill in Bray (I almost went into cardiac arrest), my objective was to hang in until the top. This all went to plan, together up through the forest and along the Wicklow Way. I jumped into the single path up to the peak first to control the pace – didn’t want to make it easy on Tom to pull away. Felt very controlled up the hill, saving myself for the descent (mistake #1). To my surprise I actually opened a wee gap and probably had about 10 metres at the peak. Down the initial boggy hill and couldn’t hear anything behind – always a good sign, but then again it was bog so what was I going to hear? I was quick, but cautious (mistake #2) down the hill. Perhaps a little too cautious as by the time we got to the gully beside the stone wall it was neck and neck. There was mutual respect down the dangerous descent through the gully and forest, with no one making a move – preventing injury a priority for both. At the forest exit it was race on. Initially I took to the front, but then on the fire road it was clear I was lacking speed training – Tom was pulling away. I caught back up briefly at the barrier, with Tom using the safe hand technique and I went for the clear jump to make time. Tom pulled away strongly again on the down section. I made a push up the sharp last hill and caught again, but Tom managed to get the apex of the turn first at the final gate (mistake #3). It was just too difficult to recover on the home straight. Tom deserved victory – he wanted it more – clear by his condition on the finish line. Really enjoyable race – thanks to all the organisers, particularly Eoin (although not sure about route change). Competition healthy – I’ll be back :) |
| Justin Rea | May 12 2011, 5:00pm | Thanks for stepping in as RD Eoin. A good route, with a twist! Great to get a chance to see this race from the field (as opposed to the field). Sorry I missed the win by a nose, but good report from Barry to appreciate the competition. Thanks for all the generous contributions for the charity - Irish Cancer Society. I'll post up the total when we've counted it up. You can see what having landowner support does for a race. We had over 150 cars parked there, and no major disruptions to traffic, or locals. |
| Jason Reid | May 12 2011, 8:14pm | Meanwhile further back in the field... Prince William's Seat race report This year’s Prince William’s Seat race was essentially 4km up a hill and 4km back down. The course started with 800m of wide open fire trail, then entered the forest and wound its way up a steep dark track. After exiting the top of the forest and joining the Wicklow Way trail briefly, the course takes in an anti-clockwise loop that meanders across open country (no trees, for the most part just a narrow muddy trail through scrub and heather) via the summit of Prince William's Seat, before eventually rejoining the forest trail and taking the same route back to the start/finish line. This was not a course for the feint-hearted. It is rough under-foot, that requires not only strength and fitness, but also a good bit of agility, surefootedness and concentration. The field assembling at the start line was worryingly strong, with a larger-than-usual contingent of Rathfarnham club runners hoping to secure a lucrative spot on the club’s Wicklow Way Relay team, plus considerable threat from unaffiliated runners. So much for treating the race as a mid-week tempo training session in the hills – this was set to be quite a battle. There were no big surprises off the start. Barry Minnock and Wexford runner Tom Hogan pushed the pace from the beginning. A crew of Rathfarnham runners comprising myself, Aaron O'Donogue, Kevin Bolger, John Brennan and John MacEnri tucked in behind them, with Brian Caulfield close behind. My legs were burning more-or-less from the start, whereas the other lads seemed quite un-phased by the steep ascent. Some days climbing is very difficult, and this was one of those days. So I revised my race plan to: reach the summit without having lost too much ground, and then try to pick guys off on the way down. Barry and Tom seemed not to notice that we were running up a hill, and as a result managed to build up an un-closable gap on us by the time we reached the summit. John Brennan pushed ahead on the Wicklow Way section and was probably 80 metres ahead of us at the turning point. I reached the summit in 6th place – four of the guys ahead of me were Rathfarnham runners (i.e. not looking good for my prospects of running the WW relay). I needed to step up my game. Thankfully my descent is normally better than my climb. Four kilometres remained in the race, three of which were narrow trail which can make overtaking very difficult. Passing involves trying your luck running through heather or deep bog on the fringe of the track. John Brennan was in third position, and I wanted to catch him. Either the three of us would pull him back together, or I would have to overtake Kevin and Aaron and go it alone (if possible). But before any definite decision was required, we reached the brow of a hill to discover John Brennan standing ahead of us on the edge of the track, have just salvaged his mud-clad dislodged shoe from a deep quagmire. We sailed past him, not quite knowing what to say. The game had changed again - now we just had to worry about each other. There were just under 3km remaining in the race – 2km of narrow technically challenging trail and then 800m of wide speedy fire trail to the finish. From a tactical perspective, there were two options. If I could overtake the lads on the rough stuff then there was a chance that I'd be able to open up a gap, and take the pressure off a bit. But attempting to overtake here would be risky, because there is a good chance of falling or making harder work for myself (e.g. by going knee deep into a hole under the heather on the track-edge). In any case, it’s one thing to overtake a tentative road-runner who is struggling with the terrain, but it’s another thing altogether trying to pass these lads! Or I could sit in and wait until the fire trail where the track widens and hopefully be able to out-kick the lads close to the finish. I decided to hold back until the fire trail and then try my luck. The forest tunnel was eerily dark, you could barely see where you were stepping as you descended the steep tree root ladder. As soon as I saw the light penetrating through the forest wall below, I found a gap and accelerated past the lads out onto the wide and welcoming fire trail. I’ve run enough 400 metre repeats with Kevin to know that he has a fierce kick, and decided that I’d rather push him hard with 800m to go than leave it to a sprint finish. The three of us bombed it down the hill, hurdled the “Beechers Brook†gate and rounded a couple of corners to finish in 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively. No doubt that this is just one of many battles that take place every week throughout the field of IMRA runners. You can’t beat IMRA races for a bit of healthy competition and exciting racing between mates. www.adventuresofjase.blogspot.com |
| Dermot Murphy | May 13 2011, 8:59am | Thanks Jason & Barry - I copied your reports on to the race reports section- hope you don't mind - just give me a shout if you want to remove them from there. |
| Rene Borg | May 18 2011, 9:00am | Belated club results up for this race. |
