Pressing buttons

16 May, 2024 - David Power

Summer evening racing in the Wicklow hills.
I like volunteering, and laptop operator is a specialist role that doesn't involve standing on a windy summit. Instead you get to spend over 3 hours in a field, sitting on a picnic chair, looking at a laptop screen, pressing numbers.
Time flies by, by 6.30pm registration is open and your job is to scan all timing chips from the 248 runners who showed up. No time to chat, just a smile, number check and onto the next.
The queue was endless, so we kept going til after 7.30pm to get everyone and then started 10mins late. Juniors then went off and we moved to setup the finish and timing matt. Tricky with USB and ethernet cables, it had a few bumps, but I'd a great teammate in Karen D. Coping well under pressure is a good attribute for this role. Temps dropped quickly, from t shirts in the sun to white fingers and jackets. Runners stream in, winners but we really care about the last runner which came by 9.30pm.
Work not finished, we have to manually reconcile to make sure everyone is accounted for. Then prizes are announced, and finally we upload the results so you can check, all before we have left the dusky view from the field. In between I got an ice cream cone and sambos, plus a bottle of wine as a thank you. The silhouetted sunset and mountains of Wicklow made me all calm again.
Thanks IMRA people

Sugarloaf limerick 2024

16 May, 2024 - Maike Jürgens

Graeme designed a new route
With a downhill starting chute
Loved describing it in detail
So no one would fail
To follow it in their pursuit

To the sugarloaf we car pooled
It is social, don’t be fooled
Get signed in
And begin
The warm up not to be cooled

Race gets started
All departed
To be stuck in a traffic jam
No one said damn
But all all darted

Down the hill through the goarse
Till we come across rocks quite coarse
Round the GAA pitch
Up and over the ditch
As we make sure to stay on course

Lungs are burning
As legs are churning
Climb hill after hill
Till in the evening chill
We reach to Sugarloaf top – turning

Only downhill now left
Scrambling down the big cleft
There are loose rocks everywhere
Runners descending here and there
Only 500 m are left

Give it everything to the finish line
Did I make it on time
To enjoy the lovely spread
Of beer, cheese and bread
This dinner appears sublime

Thanks to all the volunteers
Out in force this year
So we all could run
Celebrating Angela Flynn
Running 200 races – hear hear.

Fresh loaf

15 May, 2024 - Mikey Fry

Pooling the car drooling we head up towards the loaf of bread but don’t get to eat the top but mouch around the side I felt like I should have been home eating cakes Rory goes past and some more boom down down some passing then some flater bits Rory passes me back then old Bernard goes by fast he’s running very well as usual backside of loaf is lovely running it’s very similar to jujus Irish trail race but backwards ground is lovely and bouncy to run on up through the mucky fun bit then boom the bike mounts good few around Sarah I think and a few move we exchange places back and forth then onto some trails bits managing to keep a steady run rob goes by eventually we pass Graham for the summit slog and that it was watching all who had passed me making a promise I’d get them on downhill I hear a voice it’s Issac behind me we chat a bit hit the top and it’s a bull in a china shop I fly down like animal looking for French fancies I pass all I wanted to rob was the last I push hard hit final right turn just can’t go any faster rob and another dude fly past me well done lads fall over the line coke sandwich chats the usual Imra style thanks again Andreas and team of the limericks that fly in the nights sky good bye…….mikey