Not a mountain and this is a hill I’m willing to die on.

12 May, 2023 - Brian Kitson

Over 130 years ago, there was no group of brave mountaineers who set out clad only in tweed coats and hobnail boots carrying nowt but wooden ice axes and their dreams of finally conquering Carrick Mountain. As they left Glenealy village and gazed into a terrible sky towards the summit they did not wonder if they might ever return. As there were no mountaineers, nor were there any tearful families left behind to ask them ‘why?’ and be told, ‘because it is there’. None of these things happened because, of course, Carrick Mountain is not a mountain. People don’t stand at the foot of Carrick and dream, as Homer did, of breaking “the surly bonds of gravity and punch the face of God”. It’s just not high enough to inspire such dreams.

But Carrick is an illusion. A sleight of hand. A topographical three-card trick. Look from afar and it’s an almost flat dot on the horizon that grows hardly bigger as you get closer. Like other hills and mountains, Carrick has a top and a bottom but it is completely missing the crucial in between bit: the slope. That’s the trick of it. You don’t really run up Carrick, you bang into it and the clatter knocks out any illusions that you are in for a handy night.

Like everyone else, I am deep into that realisation just 10metres into the climb. I’m surrounded by a dozen or so others, most of whom are passing me by as I try to keep Conor Nolan in sight. My hands and feet churn for purchase on the sheer loose earth and my lungs heave for air through a mouthful of dirt cast from a desperate stray inov8 from above that churns inches from my face. I suffer up and try not to think about how I am going to run back down this vertical thing.

My heart rate settles at what feels like a ridiculously high level yet I manage to hold a steady enough jog. Despite some lads effortlessly hiking past me I resist the urge to walk and hold my pace to the first summit. Conor and Sean Meehan tear off the top along the single track and I follow with a svelte Gareth Little in hot pursuit looking even more superhero-like than ever. Legs are getting a bit jellyish now. Conor cleverly finds a gap and passes Sean while Gareth breezes past me. On the fireroad, I begin to feel the benefits of the completed block of training for a recent (disastrous) u3hr marathon attempt and find I can up the pace. I ease past Sean, Gareth, Conor and a couple of others but Sean finds a little more and shoots ahead shouting encouragement to all and sundry on his way to the main summit.

I dance over the felled forest willing the hasty tape job I did on my dodgy ankle to hold firm and spot Alan Ayling not far ahead. I wonder could I catch him to claim the M50 prize forgetting that Mikey Fry already has it in the bag. He’s miles ahead nearing the finish with his race report already written.

As I reach the steep descent, I take a deep breath and go for it. I pass Sean and then another lad. I build up so much speed that it begins to feel like bits of me might fall off. I realise I am still holding my breath. It’s so steep that my legs eventually become a separate lawless entity operating independently of the rest of my body. My torso, arms, head and brain are by now merely passengers along for the ride as my legs carry us down that crazy freefall. Terminal velocity in a straight line. I lose my nerve. There is no way my legs can slow me now so I carve a couple of turns to take the edge off the speed. I breathe. I eventually catch fellow TTracer Javaid Gaynor who falls with a thud. I slow a little to make sure he’s OK but he bounces up and continues ahead. Seconds later he’s down again, a lighter fall, and this time I’m gone. Alan is there to chase but he’s too fast tonight and bags the imaginary voucher.

Carrick may not be a mountain but it is much more than a hill. It’s a sheer thrill upon which we can test ourselves up and down. To race among others is a joy but more so when the course brings something special to the party. The poet William Blake wrote that “great things are done when men and mountains meet; this is not done by jostling in the street”. The steep climb, technical terrain, rocket-fast descent on Carrick are mountain attributes that well deliver the midweek adventure we crave. Thanks for Carrick, I’ll take all you’ve got of that.

Postscript.
Many races later I was to realise that Alan Ayling had no chance of winning the M50 prize that night. This is not down to a lack of talent but because he is a M45 runner.

That was fun

11 May, 2023 - David Power

My last outing here was in 2019. All I could remember on the way driving down with Kevin was (a) the pints in the pub in Glenealy after and (b) being beaten by Peter O'Farrell, badly. Other than that, I remember lots of mountain bike tracks, some steep climbs, lots of puddles and jumping over tree trunks.
Returning 4 years later, things have been upgraded, with a swanky new car park, where there wasn't a spec of muck in the stable yard. At least if it rained, we could warm up under the large showjumping enclosure.
This is my first race of 3 in the next week - so would I save anything for Sunday in Terenure??
Off we go - not before Mikey gets a 250 t-shirt and a few others hit big numbers like 399. I'm somewhere over 50 races in 13 years, so looks like I'll be M50 before I get to 100!
Off we go, for real this time. The climb is brutal, but I love it. Pushing ahead of Peter (not O'Farrell) and the chasing pack. You know that dry cough feeling in the back of your throat when you do a track 5000m? Well I had that but was moving at a fast walk pace.
Lovely sun up top, no wind. Perfect evening. Down past John Bell onto single track, twisting and turning, jumping over puddles and trying to avoid the trip risks (numerous).
Back up again, no sound of chasing feet, but also no sign of the 2 lads ahead (Peter and Mark).
A big long straight fire road, 2 ants running in the distance up ahead. I'll never catch them.
Over some felled trees back to the summit, then the black slope down. Not for beginners. It's over 20% but actually runnable. I fly down. Til the last bit, which is darker than the darkest black. Slipping is mandatory. Falling optional. I get through 2 slip zones, but the 3rd catches me. I graze my palm, get a "nice fall" compliment from Rob's young fella and emerge back on fire road. I glance behind, Matt in black is lurking, but too far behind. Home and dry. 3rd happy.
Blood on palm, Jarlath is a busy man cleaning out scrapes and cuts on knees and hands. Nothing serious.
Sambos and pints in the pub in Ashford are a welcome finish. A bit of WW relay chat with captain Terry, all smoke and daggers talk at this stage. Who knows will toe the line in June?

The craic on Carrick

11 May, 2023 - Warren Swords

The fourth race of the Leinster League brings us to Carrick and the killer climb. The gradient reaches 25% in places, the climb is intimidating going up or down. Hard start, hard finish.

It's a good indicator of where your mountain fitness is. And half way up Carrick I was beginning to doubt mine. The top 5 or so quickly disappeared up the steep slope as I willed my legs to keep running. But I soon succumbed to an ungainly hike, pushing on my quads in the vain hope that it might help.

Reaching the summit, I forced myself to run, knowing it's an easy but briefly painful way to gain a few seconds on those who take the summit as an opportunity for a breather. But Mikey also knows this and suddenly passes me on the inside, a moment captured by Andrew Hanney. Feck, I wasn't expecting Mikey. We both jump off the summit, pushing hard on the single track with Mikey leading. We are flying it and rapidly catch the runners in front. Mikey has no plans to sit and wait for an opportunity to pass, making several risky attempts at passing. As I'm in his slipstream, I've no choice to make the same risky manoeuvres. He's dragging me along with exceptional descending so I've no intention of giving up this position despite concerns that I'm pushing too hard at this stage. We eventually pass the runners ahead and open up a gap before hitting the fireroad.

Unexpectedly my legs start turning over nicely on the fireroad and I get a gap on Mikey. I decide to push on as I expect Mikey to comeback once we hit the steeper stuff, both up and down. Back towards the summit and Ray is breathing down my neck. Hitting the felled forest area is a killer on the legs at this stage. Back to the summit and ready to attack the downhill. I stumble straight away and hit the ground. A fall on a descent usually knocks off a few seconds off your time. Not the fall itself, but the resulting knock to the confidence. I know Mikey is going to be chasing behind like the boulder from Indiana Jones but if I can just reach the fireroad before getting steamrolled I'll have a chance. I pick a nice line through the trees, slide on my arse a bit and reach the safety of the fireroad. A few nervous looks behind and I cross the line in 5th.

Brilliant race. I was right to worry about Mikey on the downhill. He clocked the fastest descent last night, 12 seconds quicker than the nearest challenger and 22 quicker than me. That's a fair chunk of time to give up in just 1400 metres.

Peter took the win in a new course record, impressive time to hare around that track in.

The craic

10 May, 2023 - Mikey Fry

I get into the boys bath from earlier and wow still slightly warm as late pete gets the action rolling boom only the fire road left onto the good stuff up up and more ups Warren to too far off even Matt Issac drifts passed like he hadn’t eaten in days at the top ish straight down so amazing fire tracks i think I passed r caught up with Matt very close but couldn’t keep up with him lots of twists and turns Ben passes r push’s me out of the way I follow then my favourite bit the super long fire road where conor passes me I keep up but he pushes harder we then hit the nice tracks he slows I pass him feeling good a press on to the summit down to left across felled trees I lashed after Ben and Issac at last the downhill i scared Issac he wasn’t sure what was behind him a crazy animal:)I stop to wash my hair Bens next boom then onto next one or two can’t remember but this downhill is amazing probably the best on the summer leagues for sure down last bit little slide up onto fire road not too much pressure behind over finish line Carrick you are amazing thanks to pete and gang for a super race well done…and so funny people not believing that I’m 50 in pub keep using your creams people’s….mikey off to big mouth