Let this be a lesson to you

03 September, 2018 - Justin Rea

If anyone thinks they can stay out till two in the morning drinking beer, then successfully navigate some hairy Wicklow hills, carry on and read this report (Gavan excepted) . . .

After waking in the IMC hut around five hours after crawling into my bag on the top bunk (sorry to the five asleep below), I descended to begin the recovery process aided by a fry up by the Amazing Angela. Marginally better, I did my best to clean up the evidence of the damage done around the campfire. Tried not to count the several bottles of craft beer along with lots of cans courtesy of Mr Doherty (extra kudos for the ice!). Teeth brushed and eyes now pointing in the same direction, drove to Glenmacnass and hitched the last 2K with Alice at a steady 44 km/hr to the Nav Challenge #2.

The Race
Not being totally misguided, I signed up for the Short Course thanks to a borrowed voucher from Jason. Doh! Vouchers in car. Half way through Joe's briefing I realised I should have been listening to him rather than eyeing up the map and marking in explicitly which controls were on the short course (little good it did me. See below)

Then we were off. I chose to run down the road as this seemed an easy way to warm up. About 9 or ten folk were heading down it and I slotted in at the back. My brief glance at map had told me we would be turning right, so I dutifully followed a group off and up a trail. 100m later I realised these were all long coursers and I'd just warmed up with an unnecessary ascent/descent. Bugger! Back at road, carried on to proper place to head in to control 6. Easily found and back at road, thought to myself I can leg it down to control 4 and not have to do any more thinking (it was beginning to hurt). Passed a group coming up to the road from the right and I thought "Wow, these long course guys are pretty quick", carried on down towards control 4 not realising I'd run right past control 7 and they were on same course as me.

It gets worse. Got down to the waterfall car park and knew the trail up the shoulder, so grunted up here passing people looking at maps (should do more of that). After the trail flattened out I was passed by Bronagh and a couple of others, so thought I'd watch where they went left to the control and follow them onto the ridge. Another 50m or so and I realised they weren't going to turn, so belatedly hung a hard left and plodded up to the ridge where 2 others were wandering around in circles. We had all gone too high so headed back down trail and found control 4 on our side of the standing stone.

So now had the last control to do but then realised I'd missed control 7 and no easy way to round them all up. Decision made to DNF, the brain decided to give me perfect route choice, so found ride into forest next to felled section and made road before heading up towards 8. At this point heat and fustration overtook any remaining motivation to go anywhere except finish. So wandered up road and came in to undeserved acclaim for finishing.

Lesson ends (see Alice's photo for confirmation of how flattened I was at end)