Barra Mac Niocaill

25 June, 2021

My preparations for this race were outstanding. I had managed a good fast hike round Mullaghcleevaun and up Camanderry and I had gotten out for few runs since Little Sugarloaf. Confidence was high and I was really looking forward to the race… until I went out for dinner and got p*ssed as a f*rt the night before. My feelings of ennui infected my unhungover mate and we dragged ourselves out to Wicklow. The bait and switch move during the week with the route was causing us a bit of concern also. We reckoned that 450m ascent was easily 200% more than 300m. It’s fair to say that morale was low while we were waiting for the early start. But we stepped up and off we went. I decided to try a different approach this week and try to get out in front a little. That way once we on the single track horror we would all be suffering but I would suffering from further up the field. We hit the climb and I settled in to the grind and it was bad. I knew there was a couple of false summits so I wasn’t fooled. After what seemed like an eternity we hit the summit, round the cairn, shout at the guy who was heading off towards Tonelagee and down a slightly craggy slope and onto the glorious six clicks of down. Now it helped that the fog lifted as we turned towards Kanturk but the run home was absolutely exhilarating. Proper open mountainside, amazing views, beautiful underfoot conditions and a really well marked track. Having walked this a couple of times and knowing that there was no real climb left and feeling pretty good I opened up a bit and went a bit quicker than I have been going. Turned the corner back onto the track, lake on the left and what had turned into a beautiful evening. Managed a tiny sprint at the finish where my mate had been waiting for me for about seven minutes being devoured by flies. Our ennui was forgotten and we both agreed that we had gotten full value for our 450m ascent. Was very happy to knock a decent percent of my previous week’s run too. An amazing run, really well marked and organised and definitely worth the slog up to Scarr.

Scarr legged…

24 June, 2021 - Mikey Fry

Wowers first race in a long long while and holy crap Batman those midgets had a lot to say on my face arms legs pretty much every where they had a munch…..boom and where off running away from the midgets towards the lake where they live loop around the amazing flag of hope to spread the pack of animals across the road and boom here’s some up hill and it doesn’t end till we get to the summit of scarr a little exchanging between the panting freaks then on to the loop of the kanturk area I see Ben coming up close on the turn about on top and the rest lash down the technical part to the open mountains my engines fading but I push on to get the distance between the lads eventually Dan passes me so I try keeping up with him it’s a lovely part of the race but tough ups and downs then we hit that lovely down hill to the lake Nearly snot myself through the rocky gate boom on to the gate keep a steady run along track to gate quick look back Pete behind me so I push hard hit the road wrecked but make it through ahead over the line literally pass out on the ground Pete joins me just after hi 5 and he’s on the ground chilling the beans…the usual chats with the Imra people and it’s the long run walk back to the car…
Thanks again to Andreas and crew for an amazing mountain race….
Next time midget suit…

Mikey wrecked…