Birthday Blue

17 June, 2024 - Dave Docherty

As I leisurely cycle (battery assisted) up the stupidly steep hill approaching the Blue light on a beautiful Saturdays evening. I zip past lots of hills runners being true to the ethos of this evening’s race, pushing their bikes skyward. Peter and crew have commandeered a section of the beer terrace with panoramic views across Dublin and as far as the Mourns. The pub is already very busy, and we provide some odd entertainment for the pub goers as we don our numbers and que for Cons new chip system. I’m showing off my new bright orange T the kids gave me this morning for my birthday.
There are approx. fifty odd runners of all ages and abilities having great chats about the last few Wednesday races. Particularly the Djouce Ayling Abyss this week, which saw some rock stars like Zak and Paddy blow us weekly runners off the hill with an outstanding performance, on a brut of a course.
We are about half way through the 2024 summer season of races. I’ve been running well lately, last few races, manged to keep Hodge and a few others that chase me almost at bay. Every year the little midpack battles are different but it really adds to the fun.
As we gather the far side of the carpark, beside Jane’s Shop to start. I look around for pacers, Brian Furey (Mr. 200 tonight), forget about it. Hodge has brought his two young lads and will be doing the junior course, but I can see he’s chomping at the bit to beat me, next week Eamon. Alan Ayling, maybe? I surprised myself on last Wednesday when I finished behind him, and when he jumped ahead of me escort me down his abyss. Only to have my bubble burst at prerace chats this evening, wrongs shoes, sore foot etc. He then goes on to tell about clearing Abyss of trees, "sure, I'll give it a rake while I’m at it" giving an insight into why he's a legend in the Irish mountain bike scene as well as IMRA.
Peter gives his prerace brief, and we start at a ferocious pace up the steep tarmac hill, past the quarry and into single track trail. As usual, I’m out too quick, "steeper than it looked" I breathlessly comment to the speedsters around me to nervously hide the shock that first burst has had on me. Gerry acknowledges me and effortlessly pulls away. At this point I start to question yesterday's pre-birthday day drinking.
Imogen sets pace through the ferns, I manage to keep up, barely, still shook from the start.
My scatterbrained mind starts to wander, I try to focus, sometimes my podcast addled head begins to write the race report as I’m racing, which rarely see the light of day but today is my Birthday, we’ll see what drama will come.
Alan, my optimistic pacer passes. Later, more bubble bursting chats " you were just in the way, I was after Gerry" The climbing starts, in earnest. I've been practising climbing, only ‘training’ I've been doing lately between races, but it is paying off.
Settling in a little, I manage to get past Imogen and one other as we enter woods. We reach the brow of this climb near the top of the woods, a local mountain biker stops and shouts encouragement to Alan and then films the icon, as we pop out of the wood and onto fire road to finish the hill to 3rock and past the top of the boneshaker.
A new character enters the scene, Dillon Ryan. He pipped Alan at Djouce last week and is presumably looking for that Scalp again. We both chase Alan up the hill, I get a little ahead of Dillon as we take a right into the tunnel of trees, backlite by setting sun, the silhouette of Gerry in the distance and Alan in hot pursuit.

Heading down to the tractor, Mike, our race marker is marshalling here. He's counting, nine, I'm in the top ten. This race just got serious. "Just keep turning right till you get back to me" Mike says, but I’m too distracted by the nine.
We're Sent left through the trees and arrive above the Granite stepping stones pushing towards fairy castle. Alan still in my sights, chasing, I grind on uphill. As requested, I pick up a small rock to add to the cairn when I get there. It's a ritual my 8-year Ollie has been doing whenever hike a hill.
We get to the sleepers; I chuck my stone to the left and hope it lands in the cairn. Now the pressure is on, can I stay in the top ten? There’s a techy granite, raod rashey, decent ahead of me, tired legs from climbing, intrusive thoughts of rolled ankles and broken bones creeping into my old man birthday brain.
Alan completes the bursting of bubble by flowing down the hill through the trips like water.
Dillon is hot my heels, I can feel him looking for chance to get past. We take a right onto the smooth and somewhat leveller WW, I pick up the pace here, Alan is probably 300m off now, Dillon breathing down my neck. The plan, for now, is just hold him off till we hit the single track, we take a well-marked turn off the WW and start thundering downhill of the mossy forest trail. Too much downhill perhaps. Uncertainty creeps in, but I'm going too hard to keep Dillon at bay, "keep turning right" haunting through the uncertainty. we duck under a tree (why didn't Peter mention that in the race briefing?) The trail opens to daylight, a fire road, and no tractor. Unlike the rest of Europe, we were not turning right. Its obvious we’ve gone wrong, but we aren't willing to admit it yet. I call Mike, he answers but we get cut off.
From top ten to DNF, just like that? No, not having a DNF, not on my birthday. Dillon decides on the DNF and takes the short way back to the Blue. We high five and he's off, so at least I've beaten him.... technically.
I head back up, still confused as to why Mike didn't mark the corner, realise that's another wrong turn. Keep heading back uphill, there it is, the turn we missed, Mike must have clearly realised his mistake and come back to mark this corner after I called him. It’s the only logical explanation.
I get back on track, find the tractor, give Mike abuse for sending me the wrong way. Thoroughly enjoy the run back now that I’m not being hounded by faster runners. Still lots of little spots on the return route where we could go wrong, if not paying attention.
Get back to the finish, there are a few more DNFs coming back up the tarmac hill, after their own adventures off-piste in Tickknock.
Down to Blue and some tasty pints of cider and tastier pizzas. Lots of great chats with local runners about how much has changed round here “I remember when this was all just fields... well pitch and put courses at least” And the merits of letting your kids run ferrule and play and swim in old quarries, like we did.
Some random group of people come round the corner holding a cake with candles, I almost start crying. How did they know? But I don’t own the day, later they send over one leftover slice with a candle in it. I actually start crying….
Great Race, Excellent pub…. More of this please.
Thanks to all who made it happen.

Peter O'Farrell

16 June, 2024

Thanks to all the runners and helpers for coming out to race this evening from The Blue Light pub and embracing the walking and cycling to the start.
The first person home to test out the new timing mat was the winner of the junior course, Cian Charnecki. Cian’s brother Leo was the second junior home with Hodges Eddie, Daniel and Dad Eamonn also running well on the evening on a testing course of approximately 4km. The Charneckis and Brights filled out family of the evening with 3 generations in attendance and Aileen and Tim running well.
Although briefly mistaken for a junior, Enda Cloake was indeed in the senior race and was first finisher in that event although Asher Cook kept him honest in second place. Liam Kenny was absolutely deeeeeeelighted to get the better of the veteran Brian Furey for that coveted 3rd place. Veteran Brian had to be content with a round of applause on his 200th IMRA race, and some pizza afterwards.
The women’s race was also an occasion for deeeeelight with Imogen McGuinness winning and two very happy ladies filling out the podium with Joan Ryan in 2nd and Maeve Ryan in 3rd crossing the line together with wide smiles. The laptop doesn’t believe in sporting draws and so assigned 2nd and 3rd, and there we are.
Speaking of the laptop, thanks to Conor O’Farrell for giving up yet another evening to test run the new timing chips and mats and it was fantastic to see runners able to ignore each other in the pub after to scroll through their phones and see the results – before the pizzas arrived. Chapeau Conor. Onto the volunteers and no race goes ahead without good help and with Sarah, Conor, Grace and Anne on registration, Ciaran, Darron, Ian and Mike on Marshalling, Mike (again) on marking, Sarah (again) on first aid, Orla, Grace (again), Conor (again) Anne (again) on finish line duty and Mike on demarking (also again and into his 5th hour on the hill) we had great help on the night.
Eva Fairmaner provided a fine tray of shortbread as a prize – which went to the first person home – Cian Charnecki.
David Dodrill won a great sprint finish with Ian Tumulty.
It was encouraging to see with a bit of effort and a lot of cycling we can return to good race locations which have been lost due to car parking issues.
On this website we can see that in 2000 a Blue Light race also featured on the calendar. In attendance and racing 24 years ago AND today were Gavan Doherty, Eva Fairmaner, Alan Ayling and Gerry Lalor. And may I say all are looking well on the years spent running the hills in between.
Thanks again to all in the background on the committee who aided and allowed Orla and myself put the race on and Paddy and staff in The Blue Light for accommodating us on a hugely busy evening for themselves.
As Liam Vines asked me to check - furthest cycle to the event was Charlie Johnston, from a different county!
In the end we did have one car at the event and on balance it was worth it for the use of the laptop and the new timing mat. I do love results going up quickly.