Peter O'Farrell

08 June, 2017

Before the race can be the time for the questions. Will this rain stop, will I be warm enough in one layer, is it too late for a banana, who is out tonight, who is arriving into the parking field at 7.13pm with registration closing at 7.15pm, how nice is Bronagh, which corner of the field has been designated for sprinkling, what is Lilian wearing on her leg and the biggest question of them all, how are my leggies?
Registration appeared to be flawless, super job Bronagh and team. Up to the start and as Greg has already confessed I too can admit to not really listening to the pre-race instructions, in my case pre-occupied with finding somewhere to hang my blue cycling cap.
Diarmuid Collins has taken the lightweight approach to carrying his jacket to to it's logical conclusion, either that or he should see a doctor about his hip. Ronan Costello was loitering at the front as he has heard about some impending singletrack bottleneck.
Bronagh shouts go and we do. Diarmuid with the best hearing and Neilus Healy set the pace and we follow after. Pat Foley sits easily on my shoulder and we slowly but steadily reel in Diarmuid and Neilus. Now there's a sinuous foursome locked together with a common goal, get out of the foursome and become a onesome, ideally before Bernard deploys his fast finish. There's a nasty looking piece of barb to the wire we have to cross. The conditions are perfect, a lovely lovely tailwind blows us up the hill and the rain has gone to Spain.

Up the hill, Diarmuid gets a few metres, I get a few metres, Neilus gets a few metres but it all comes back to the foursome. Looks like the descent would decide it as we can't get away on the climb and I'm starting to wonder if I have good enough legs to win. Very early for such optimism. Diarmuid nips into the lead rounding the cairn and almost immediately gets waylaid by a heavy fall. I urge him to get up and run it off, he shakes his head.
I have the lead now but the two lads are practically in my top and then all of a sudden it's over I go, a heavy twist of an ankle and a couple of audible snaps/pops from the ligament area that's the sound of the race going away. For the craic I urged myself to run it off, my whole body shook.
Only one question afterwards. Who won?
Pat Foley had powered on to record a well deserved maiden win with Neilus second. Sonya McConnon, Cathy Wyse and Patricia McLoughlin won the ladies and Ronan Costello possibly had the most fun on the night.

Time will tell....

08 June, 2017 - Mikey Fry

Everyone Greg :))

Pat Foley

08 June, 2017

In my 3.5 seasons to date running in the leinster league I have not witnessed the rain that we saw in the lead up to last night’s race at Sorrell Hill. After arriving at the field good and early I had plenty of time for a leisurely warm-up so up the fire road I went, across the other two fire roads and up to the first fence where John was already stationed, ready to advise runners of the slippery stile. After wishing John the best in the upcoming Wicklow Way solo, I ventured onto the open mountain to assess the underfoot conditions – The verdict - it was wet as expected!!
The rain disappeared before the race briefing and it wasn’t long before we were on our way up the fire road. Diarmuid led from the front as he likes to do with Neilus following. I make a bit of a burst to get to the front of the group but Peter gets out in front of me before we exit the fire road. I follow Peter up the climb as far as the first fence. I was glad to hear later that Mikey didn’t have a spectacular fall over the fence like he did last year!! At this stage Diarmuid and Neilus are out in front but Peter sets a solid pace to allow us catch up and the leading twosome now becomes a foursome. The rain over the past few days had left its mark with puddles everywhere. It stuck me how much energy 3 of the 4 of us were wasting trying to hop over the water and mud. Peter appeared to take a more sensible direct approach. On the ascent, Diarmuid appeared to be in some distress as he reached down to examine his ankle. Peter offered some encouragement and the climb continued. The underfoot conditions prevented anyone from pulling away and the gang of 4 stayed together right to the summit. As we rounded the cairn, Bernard could be seen fast approaching the summit. I could sense that the gang of 4 would soon become a gang of 5! What was to happen in the next 10 seconds or so would have a significant bearing on who would make the podium. First, Diarmuid turned on his ankle. Moments later, Peter twists his ankle and it looked like their races were over. I was now following Wednesday night newcomer Neilus down the hill, diligently keeping left as per Bronagh’s instructions. As the terrain flattened out we were faced with the same puddles we met on the way out. I take a minor harmless tumble but get up again. As we started the final climb before the fence I decided to overtake and see what was left in my legs. After all, this could be my only opportunity to win an IMRA race and there was no point in waiting until the fire road finish to find out!! In addition, being a Kerry native, there was the added incentive of finishing ahead of Corkman Neilus, having failed to finish ahead of the other Corkman Diarmuid in the last few races! As I crossed over the final fence where John was still stationed, the goal now was to avoid any falls on the narrow descent before the fire road. And then there was the fire road, the soft underfoot of the mountain replaced with the hard pounding. The steps of Neilus could be heard from behind with no idea of the gap. Was he closing, was I slowing. There was only one option, run out of my skin until the finish. And there it was, my first IMRA win, back at the same venue where I recorded my first ever leinster league podium finish in 2016. Neilus finished 2nd with Bernard in 3rd. In the ladies race, Sonya had a commanding win with Cathy and Patricia finishing 2nd and 3rd. A very well organised race by Bronagh and her team of volunteers. Wishing Diarmuid and Peter and anyone else who had a knock last night a speedy recovery.

The night our leaders fell…

07 June, 2017 - Greg Byrne

The rain damped spirits slightly… only 140 runners tonight. But who was missing? Not Bernard, seen trotting up the hill backwards and showing few ill effects of Carrauntohill, Pat Foley was keen, Richard Nunan was hiding behind a beard, Lindsey Heppenstall strode up to the start, orthosis and all, Diarmuid was happy to see us… oh no that was his jacket. Called to order we took in the race briefing, as usual I was chatting by the third corner, but “keep left” was repeated enough for me to think: Up, Up, Stile, Fence, Up, Keep Left, Up, Turn, Get Home, Simples.

And we’re off… I get deja vu, no he couldn’t have, yes, Diarmuid has gone out to fast, again… a lone chaser follows, while Pat and Peter O’Farrell lead the pack. 100 metres in and we stop talking, 200 metres in and we stop overtaking those more ambitious than ourselves, 300 metres and we’re still climbing, 400 metres and I already think the course is long, 500 metres in and I try to distract Gareth Little with idle banter, it fails miserably as Gareth holds the racing line into the single track. After the second road crossing the track widens and I tuck in behind Turlough. Politely we wait at the stile. After you sir…

The stile acts like a time trial starting gate… suddenly were in single file about 5 metres apart and loving the grassy descent. Sonya is just ahead and provides the perfect pacing, “match the cadence”, now the legs are turning over and I’m back on rhythm. Runners go left, right and straight through the mud, reeds and scattered stones. Country flat might best describe the middle section. The undulations were punctured with speed sapping mud patches. We were fighting to keep any momentum. I came onto Mike Jordan’s shoulder, a quick glance up revealed the impending mountain. Mike claims his glasses a fogged and he cannot see a thing. I think he’s lucky…

There’s no holding back now, we all racing across the ridge, guessing where the firm ground might be hiding. As we enter the base of the climb we meet the first early starter. I ask Alan Alying about the merits of giving an early start a lash one week. He acknowledges the merits if only to get him out of his current predicament of having to talk to me at the painful part of the race. We climb, it gets steeper, we're wandering all over the path looking for solid ground. KEEP LEFT I think, but the legs won’t listen as they search for the best footing. I hope those behind are more disciplined. Keep left, keep left. So many parts of the brain have shut down. Eventually the message gets through as the leaders approach. In a flash they’re gone. At the turn I’ve got Warren Sword and Rob Costello for company. Rob makes a push. As the ground steepens my momentum increases and the gap closes… Next thing Diarmuid appears… twisted ankle, rough justice. He’s fine, so on we go… next it’s Peter, same story. He’s fine, so on we go… no negative thoughts allowed, no ‘I’m next”, such thoughts only lead to reality…. push on.

Someone is chasing… not sure who, but I have Barry Murray’s singlet to chase myself. “Go Warren”. That answers that question. We hit the climb and nothing changes. We cross the stile and the helter skelter of the single track ensues. The narrow track amplifies the speed. Hitting the road feel like running into the sea. Warren is gone. He hits the inside and shows the value of his Wicklow Round endurance training. I am wishing his Round attempt had not been hit by such shocking weather, but he is benefiting now.

The line arrives just before Rob can nick another place… next time maybe. The chase was so nearly fruitful that the confidence will endure. I stopped the watch. Garmin informed me that 3.5 days recovery is required. Emptied? Possibly, probably. Satisfied with another night on the hills. Definitely.

Congrats to Pat and Sonya on their wins. Bonus for Pat as it was his inaugural IMRA win. Well earned and deserved given his consistent racing this year.

Thanks to Bronagh and the team of volunteers for a great race. Whatever about racing in the rain, volunteering in the rain deserves our utmost respect.

And onwards we go… Mikey Fry and Hazel Thompson top the League, but who is plotting against them?