Charlie Lyons

12 July, 2011

Had such a great day yesterday down in Wexford that I thought I would make my first attempt at writing a race report.

Early start at 7AM and was happy enough when I pulled back the blinds to see some blue sky. Great racing weather!
Tucked into my first breakfast of porridge followed an hour later by the second breakfast of muesli and some eggs. At this point I received a text message from my good friend and fellow hill runner Aidan Blighe that he wouldn't make the race as his wife Sabrina had gone into labour with their first child. I found out after the race that they had a little baby boy so congratulations to both of them. I'm sure we will see young Blighe out in the hills in the not too distant future.

Anyway, hit the road around 9AM with my wife Ciara who was witnessing her first mountain running expedition. We stopped off in Bunclody to pick up another good buddy of mine, Joe Keane and we headed on down to the start point. On arriving we were very impressed to see registration taking place in a camper van. Would be great if we had that every week!

With registration out of the way it was down to the business of getting ready for the race. Went for the normal pre-race jog and was great to see all the familiar faces of the IMRA runners that I race against on a regular basis. John Lagenbach was making it two races in a week! It was also nice to see Rene back racing in the hills after a frustrating run of injuries. Had a look around for Aidan Roe who I always enjoy a bit of pre-race banter with but unfortunately he was not running today. I also saw Amidou warming up and had a sneaking feeling that he would push some of the big guns today.

After receiving the race instructions from Jane we were off on the run. The pace was slow from the off and I ran close to the front. I was surprised but happy with the pace. As we entered the forest the pace picked up and a group of runners led by Tom Hogan began to split the field. I ran in a group that was led by Gareth Little. I've known Gareth from Rene's hill sessions and knew he was a strong runner so I was happy to tuck in behind him on the first climb. Gareth set a nice tempo and I was feeling strong at this point. I even allowed myself a few glances over my shoulder to take in the beautiful scenery. As the gradient steepened, I felt strong enough to push on and ran onto the shoulder of Martin Francis. I suspected Martin wasn't 100% as normally I wouldn't be anywhere near him. From chatting to him afterwards I was correct in my thinking as he had a few niggles that were bothering him.

At this point we had climbed above the zig zags and I could see Dermot Murphy and Mick Hanney battling away up ahead. I kept my pace steady and knuckled down for the long climb. I knew that if I could keep Dermot and Mick in my sights I would be well placed at the summit. The ground started to get boggy and the going tough. The peat hags were awful and the energy was draining from my legs. However, I was determined to hang onto Dermot as he led the way to the summit.

The encouragement we got from the summit team was fantastic and really gave me a lift. Dermot led the charge down and he was really running strongly. Back through the peat hags and onto the boggy ground. I can't really remember what happened after that but I must have taken a different line to Dermot and I moved ahead of him. Unfortunately, I ran straight into a bog hole and went face down in the muck. I jumped back up and it was nice to see Dermot take the time to make sure I was ok. After wiping the mud out of my eyes I was on my way again.
The descent was fast and furious and was really great fun. I passed Vivienne and again really appreciated the encouragement. I could see the gate ahead and a group of people clapping the runners through. I tried to thank them but could only muster some kind of strange grunt. I hope they didn't think I was being rude!

Onto the fire road and I knew I was close to home. I wasn't under any real pressure so it was just a matter of keeping the leg speed up to the finish line. I crossed the line in 13th place so I was happy with my day's work.
I must say it was one of my favourite races of the year and I would encourage anyone to put it in their diaries for next year.

A big thank you to Graham and Jane and all the volunteers for a wonderful day. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the pub after the race but I will definitely make it back next year.

Cheers

Charlie

Amidou Dembele

11 July, 2011

Excellent route, Mt. Leinster it is, a massive credit to the designers for it and many thanks to the organisers for the remarkable marking (you couldn’t get it wrong unless you weren’t watching the ground, which I bet if you weren’t you wouldn’t get far with your shoes on:)- or you didn’t listen to Jane’s instructions at the start).

Wake up the morning, same routing as usual: Packed my running gears, up for breakfast (tea cup, 2 slices of breads with butter and jam; oh! no jam left in the fridge, ok that’s it no shop open yet, so take your butter - bread and get out there). After breakfast, took my bike for a 10k cycling to meet up with Gareth at foxrock church (who was picking up Stuart and me there). As I was pedalling down after the gradual up on the N11 to the church, I really felt my body loosen, that was a good sign and 3 minutes later I was there.

Met Des, who was also waiting to be pick up by Barry, had a couple of minutes chat with Des. Des asked how was I feeling, I replied good. Had few words about the weather and moved ahead to park my bike and there is Gareth arriving and 30 seconds later Stuart also arrived and we were off for Wexford. First conversation, how long will it take to drive down there? Gareth and Stuart were both thinking something like 50 mins, I quickly replied it took us over 80 mins last year to get there. Thanks again to the organisers for the very detailed getting there instructions and all the sign posts along the last section of it, we drove there with no trouble and it took us about 90 mins.

30 mins left to get registered and get the gears on! a quick glance at the car park and it looked, it is going to be the biggest field of the year so far for a weekend race. Couples of minutes chat with few peoples and the big news was that no kit required as the weather was looking cracking good:)-! But as we proceeded a big cloud suddenly appeared at the top of Mt.Leinster and a shade of doubts pass through the minds, ok this looks it can turn in either way today. But fortunately, it quickly makes its way away again, and the race was about to be set for a great day.

As Jane was about to give final instructions for the off, she spotted that Martin McDonald was missing (good to be well known in the field otherwise it would has been a pity to have registered and miss out the start!) and a minute later they were coming from warn up with another runner.

The next minute the race was off, I sat in 5th position from the start (last year it was my strongest race of the year and I was very keen to be able to make it this year also!) it looked like the leaders were very conservative; no one seemed to want open up the battle. 1st km, still moderate pace, with Tom, Des and a 3rd runner (who, I cannot remember the name) were side by side, the 4th runner about 20 m back and me another 20 m adrift. By the time, we pass the mile (fireroad nearly over) and heading to the open mountain, Tom decided to take things in hand. He started pulling away, like we others were playing. By the 2nd mile, the field had stretched and it became clear that it was going to be a battle between Tom and the clock as he had disappeared in the front.
Des and the 3rd runner had also extended the gap on us to about 200 m and I was about 20 m back on the 4th runner but still in 5th position (so; so far so good!). I manage to keep constant that gap, but as we were approaching 2.5 miles, Martin McDonald and a fellow runner over took me (last year I did not see Martin all the way up, he was far ahead of me, so still; so far so good), but I decided to inflict more punishment to my legs and kept up the pace with them and we closed the gap on the 4th runner. As, we were descending the final descent before the boggy climb to the top, Bernard also closed the gap on us and it was now a group of 5 of us, with Des and the other runner still about 200 m ahead. From there it was less than a mile to the top and it became clear that it was going to be a descent battle (as I was not willing to give up on my initial 5th position by the finish line:-)

Till here I had found the route very runnable, then came that very boggy section where the route have been shifted to left from last year old course (due to ongoing works in the area), I started feeling my feet draining to much energy off me (that was not a good thing for me who was betting on the descent). I decided to do a bit of mix fast walk/run and the group put a bit of gap on me there; then Tom came pass by on the descent. Few minutes later I hit the antennas and turn around toward the cairn, there I met Des, shot him encouragements and in matter of seconds all the front group was coming done. I reach the cairn, where I got big encouragements from the marshalling crew (at this stage all the info my mind was processing was the descent, so I didn’t really know who were doing the marshal, but thanks for your great work and encouragements).

Now a new chapter starts: the descent:-)
Here I was 8th, so to hold on that 5th position it meant that I had to overtake minimum 3 runners. I passed to the second gear for that boggy section, there I met a big field battling up for the top and got lot of encouragements. By the time I swang left for the final descent from the top, I gained up one place and the 2 others runners were 20 m ahead. I decided to pass to the 3 gear on that final descent to get my dear 5th place back:-) and so I did, but right after I hit that short climb to the second peak and it suddenly cut my pace back to null (was very glad that it didn’t last for long).

At this stage Bernard had overtaken Des and the other runner and was in second position. As we hit the top of that peak, Bernard and Des were some 300-400 m ahead, from there I knew that there wasn’t going to come any other climb, so I decided to punish now both legs and lungs. I passed again to the 3rd gear, at this stage I was thinking that I am still in 5th place, but few minutes later I met Vivian, he gave me some encouragements and said that I am in 4th place (Don’t know where I passed the 4th runner).

There I thought why not bringing the race to another level; that is got there and do a print finish with Des and Bernard. I was still 300- 400 m adrift of Des and Bernard and with less than 2 miles left to go, it seemed to myself that these were some crazy thoughts. But I decided to give it a try, by the time we reach the fireroad I reduced the gap on Des to about 100 m (at this stage I was going at sub 5 mins/mile) and came side by side with Des before the sharp right turn on the fireroad, I pushed more and right at the left turn toward the finish I saw Bernard about 80m ahead. I pushed, he pushed; I pushed again, he pushed:-) and there was the finish line.

To mention here that Des hasn’t been running that many races this year due to some injuries niggles. Glad to see him back!
Great race and a fantastic day. Strongest race last and strongest race so far this year too!

Congratulations to Tom on breaking the hour mark on that slightly longer and tougher route and well done to everyone.

Many thanks again to Jane and all the helpers who made it happened.
For me no lift means no race, a big thanks to Gareth for the lift. Also thanks to everyone who got out there to make it an enjoyable day in the hills.

Ronan Hickey

10 July, 2011

Brilliant race today, I have to get down South for more races! Thanks to Jane and Graham for organising it all and to their volunteers. My plan for the race (besides sneaking in a 3rd to complete the championship) wasn't about placings, times, percentage-of-winners-times, Enduro Points, Texaco Points or PBs. It was actually a pretty childish one. I wanted to beat Cormac O Ceallaigh.

Let me first assure you that I have absolutely nothing against the guy! Cormac is a total gent as I'm sure everyone knows. But I'd noticed that, while he's completly hockeying me in the Leinster League as one would expect, for some reason I'm ahead of him in the Leinster Championship (Probably due to the fact that he races 60 times a year or something insane like that!)..well....once I spotted that!!

I'd also realised once I got there and looked at my printouts (yeah I know, nerd) that this was going to be the longest hill race I'd ever run. I think my nervousness must have been pretty obvious (I kept getting out of the car to look at the route, again and again) and Martin Francis who I'd parked beside, talked me down a bit :-)

We set off and I tried to push ahead as I knew Cormac would be stronger than me on the downhill. I found the route surprisingly runnable...and then we hit the boggy sections. Man that's hard work! Mick Hanney had said before the start that on this race there was no way to keep clean. Man, forget clean..I just wanted to keep my shoes!

I hit the cairn and was welcomed to the summit by Graham. Coming off the top I saw Cormac was very close, only 2 people back maybe and from then it was just trying to hang on. I got passed pretty much straight away, by a CNOC runner with an Axel Rose-like bandana and by the second lady, who taught me a valuable lesson, never run on someone's shoulder in the bog. She hit a messy boghole but I was too close behind her to avoid it and ended up in it as well.

It was obvious pretty soon after that that staying too close to the runner ahead of me wasn't going to be something under my control and she (I'm sorry I don't know your name and the results aren't up yet!) increased the distance and practically leapt away once she hit the fireroad.

That feckin' fireroad....how long is it? It seemed to go on for ever and I was getting slower and slower. Luckily the finish came at last and I crossed over...with Cormac (who would definitely have caught me had it been a couple of hundred metres more as he was powering along!) coming in just after me!

Massive thanks also to Gareth Little (who ran a savage race) for giving me some First Aid at the end after a spill on the rocks. A Mountain Rescuer's work is never done eh? Thanks to Paul Nolan and all the RDs for the Leinster Championship, they're savage races, each one I've done has been one of my favourites. I just don't understand why more runners aren't running them. Gotta say though..I'm pretty glad!