No. 11

28 July, 2024 - Mick Hanney

On the drive to Fentons yesterday morning the cloud was low on the hills and there was the odd rain shower. The forecast said it would clear up and thankfully approaching lunchtime the clouds parted, the mountain sprang into view and all was well.

Hill running can be a humbling experience. Especially as one gets older and you slow down. What used to be easier becomes very hard, and so it was today on Lug.

The ground conditions were as soft as I can remember them. Dry ground for a footstep was a rare thing.

Camarahill is an unwelcome start to a hill race. Steep and uneven, its tough to make forward progress. Distant are the days when I could run this without interruption. Now its a hill march. I wasn’t alone in the marching stakes.

My EastWest map tells me the next intermediary hills are Lower and Upper Corrig. There was plenty of puddle jumping and run/walking along the way but the runners ahead stayed well ahead. Oisin O’Brian pulled clear of me on this stretch and it took a lot of effort to keep the gap from growing.

Plenty of walkers on the hill yesterday. They must have thought us runners lunatics.

The haul up the last steep section of mountain was the hardest but at least you knew it was the last climb of the day. Watching the fast runners descending towards you with envy, but with the odd shout of encouragement.

Onto the last incline towards the summit cairn. An hello to Gill the summit marshall, round the cairn and back the way you came. Except normal things like running, and getting the legs to work, are hard after the effort of a climb. Met Liam Vines on his way to the summit, told him he’ll be passing me soon.

Down thru the rocky bit, it felt slow and it was, but it was downhill. The next few sections felt more flat than downhill and it was hard to get a rhythm going with the bog and pools across your path. Knee deep in bog on at least one occasion. The aforementioned Mr Vines shoots by at one stage, going well. Oisin a good half minute ahead, but Liam is gaining.

Continue along to the top of Camarahill and then to enjoy the steep downhill. Surprised to catch Rob Costello here, sorry to hear he had an injury, but hopefully a speedy recovery. Thru the kissing gate and last stretch of dreaded fireroad.

My IMRA event history tells me this was my 11th Lug race, and by far my slowest. A target to beat next time around.

Back at Fentons we found a secret tap by the cars which was nice for some of the bog removed from the legs. A pint back at the pub was most welcome. Roll on Lug again (from Balllineddan in 2 weeks time. And hopefully drier ground conditions for runners.

Thanks Leo, Lillian and all the days helpers.

Car > Lug > stream > pint

27 July, 2024 - David Power

In many ways, the hour up and down Lug was only part of the days' events. We left at 11am and got home after 6pm, so only 1/7 of our time involved running up a big hill. The rest of the time could fill a race report.
Driving down we had buckets of pedigree, 2 past champions in the back - Peter and Jason. Brian and myself in the front, minding them in case their adoring fans wanted autographs (or tips on the best line through the boggy ascent). Chances were good at least one of us would win a prize, even if it was in the raffle.
Chat was mighty - Brian studying the 49 minute record that still stands from Johnny Lenihan back in the day. Stories swapped of epic battles when everyone was 20 years younger.
A who's who of IMRA showed up - Tom and Sean from Munster, Esther and Newry AC from Ulster as well as a man in an orange t-shirt who I didn't know, but turns out he also has pedigree and knows how to run up these hills pretty fast.
Kit check at reg was good to see - glad I had all my bits and pieces. Also glad I put on the X-talons for grip - one of 3 footwear choices in the boot.
Off we went, Leo sending us off. Hopefully the rain had cleared and we'd be dry. He described the forecast as "iffy". It was boiling hot in the humid still air once we climbed up Camara Hill.
The lead group of 7 was ahead, I couldn't match their pace. Orange t-shirt man kept catching me, with his lovely tight steps, running where I was power walking.
It's only 5km I tell myself. Last time I got up in 37mins and down in 22mins, so hoped we'd be similar, but 4 years put 4 minutes on my time - going up being slower compared to the Covid race of 2020.
The table top was green and bouncy and flat. Around the cairn and back down. I passed two, but two others past me, so parity restored.
Seán beat Des and Esther beat Becky at the sharp end of things. If I only weighed 20kg less?
A dip in the boggy brown stream was nice, Paul's Place it was named by a plaque on the bridge. I had dived into that stream, the Little Slaney River, halfway up the mountain, losing my lower leg and forearm beneath the bog as I took one step into the squelchy stuff.
We missed the raffle and the sambos, so pints in the sun at Fenton's it was. Conversation covered all sorts - I learnt from Des that the max can count at a local festival was 28 cans for a weekend. He surely didn't drink them if he's able to run that fast? We discussed t-shirt, gillet and trophy designs with Lillian (always full of ideas). We admired the new IMRA van - a naming competition could have pitfalls, Boggy McBogface.
We pondered if mountain running would be a good Olympic spectacle. Oh and I learnt of orange shirt man. Robbie was his name when I asked. Didn't register with me, but the lads informed me he has the record (still) for ascending Snowdon and is still a top notch runner. Here's hoping we're all ploughing up and down Lug for many years to come.