Rene Borg

14 July, 2012

TEAM RESULTS

MEN'S
1. UCD 32 (6 Zoran Skrba, 11 Luke Kenny, 15 Niall Fox)
2. Boards AC 68 (12 Angus Tyner, 17 John Ahern, 39 Laurence Colleran)
3. Sli Cualann 96 (18 Martin Francis, 24 Jimmy Synnott, 54 Cormac O'Ceallaigh)
4. Crusaders AC 123 (31 Oran Murphy, 34 Gavan Doherty, 58 Brian Linton)
5. Clonliffe Harriers 145 (29 Dermot Murphy, 35 Paul Duffy, 81 David Duffy)
6. Glenasmole 221 (64 Thomas Galvin, 67 Cillian Stewart, 90 Ercus Stewart)
7. The Vulgar Calunas 240 (50 Miles Newman, 85 John Langan, 105 Jesko Zimmerman)

Laurence Colleran

13 July, 2012

I’ve not done a race report before but getting towards the end of the league without having completed enough volunteering duties has given me the encouragement I needed. That and the fact that there’s just so much I could say about this amazing route. The sheer variety of trail type, light levels, underfoot conditions made this a real hum dinger* of a race.

Prior to 7pm the only chink of light on an otherwise very stressful day had been a txt from another IMRA’er kindly offering me a lift to Ballinastoe from my front door. Arriving at race start the weather was perfect and the registration was pain free as usual. During my warm up I was considering my race strategy.

The plan was to go out fairly easy, run at my own race and not be too concerned about racing those around me. I needn’t have worried.

The first big hill comes early in the race and the long climb requires you to settle at your own pace and concentrate on just keeping the legs ticking over. Once at the top the real fun began. It was helter skelter for the next section along the cut down forest with positions shifting many times amongst a group around me. It was flat out running, with some skipping and jumping puddles thrown in. I had run this section previously as far as the wicklow way but didn’t know the next section. I had however imagined that it would be somewhat like the many other fireroads criss crossing Ballinastoe. I couldn’t have been more mistaken.

The next few kilometres was along the most topsy turvey route imaginable; boggy, slippy , rocky, wet, dry, spongy, brightness, darkness, ridges, drains, grass, scrub, forest, up and down. The tight trail made you feel like you were really moving at pace and my poor eyesight meant I could easily have collided with a tree at any point. The trail was constantly twisting and turning. I completely forgot about all the other runners, my dodgy ankle, my stressful day and I was loving it. The variety meant you had to concentrate on what was coming next and be completely mentally and physically immersed in the route.

Unlike many of my recent races I managed to run all the uphill’s. I was invigorated and the usual tiredness that creeps in at about 8k never arrived. An added bonus for me was not losing any places in the final third of the race and being able to open up on the downhill and run strongly to the finish.

All in all a great evening out which I’ll use for inspiration on those dark wet evenings when I don’t feel like putting on the trail shoes.

Well done to all those involved in organising the race, marking the route and marshalling on the night. The complexity of the route must have taken some work but the reaction of everyone at the end was proof that it was very much appreciated. Definitely my favourite Leinster League race to date.

*(Ken had already used roller coaster so this the next best description I could think of.)

Ken Cowley

12 July, 2012

I've been meaning to write a race report of one the many enjoyable IMRA races I've had this year, but only really felt a sense of urgency to do so after last night's epic Ballinastoe race.
Surely, the best route of the season? Certainly, of the Leinster (Wednesday) League anyhow.

Having been laid low a few times this year (injury, followed by a bad chest infection) I've only been getting back in to it in the last 3 weeks or so, and after a bad Seefingan and an improving Lugnaquilla, I set off at 7.30 last night in decent weather conditions to do this highly regarded Ballinastoe route for the first time.

It was a relatively small turn-out, and I settled in to my usual position somewhere in the latter half of the field, mostly succeeding in not walking the initial climbs of the race, but keeping my rhythm to a slow uphill jog.
I guess it was about 2 or 3km in to this 12km run (the run also having 600m of ascent) that it started to get really interesting. Whoever designed this route really should get a medal, or an Oscar or something - if a mountain-race could ever be called a piece of art - this was it! I know the Ballinastoe area (the hills and woods which lie approximately on the Roundwood side of Djouce mountain) reasonably well, but had no idea it was possible to design such a devilishly manic route in this area.

It's hard to describe, but for that spectacular roller-coaster-like middle section we went through an absolute maze of forests (often dark forests), tunnels, trails, rivers, mud (lots of mud!), hillocks, rocky bits - much of it on a moderate descent (my favourite) or flat, with other sections of fairly tough uphills, and a long-ish relatively steep descent at the end.

Truly the most exciting Wednesday fun to be had, this race really had everything. And to think I used to play golf on Wednesdays! Plus, of course,it was a race with a slight whiff of danger. Mountain running often lulls you in to a (in my case, false!) sense of immortality, especially when the adrenaline is pumping, and sure enough I came a bit of a cropper at one point, when running through a forest tunnel along a lengthy mound - just before the point where the long mound veered left - I attempted to move my body to the left from the right camber of the mound and my left foot slipped and I took a big tumble, banging my head fairly smartly on the ground. Fortunately it was soft ground, so I was able to carry on, a bit dazed but functioning fine.

Soon after this, we (I was running mainly in a group of 4 or 5 people for that period, where overtaking was tricky - and we had some good banter) came out on to more open trail, for some nasty uphills back to the highpoint of the route (prior to the final descent). By now I was out over an hour and was glad I'd brought a small bottle of water as I suddenly realised how tired I was, as this race is also a very good test of fitness and stamina. I struggled on, even taking a wrong turn with a bunch of other runners at one point, and by the time of the final descent had developed some stomach cramps, which only slightly slowed and marred my finish.

All in all, a fantastic race, and well done to all the volunteers, especially the race director, course designer and markers for a race it's great to see back on the calendar. Not for the faint hearted (or beginners), but I hope it's in next year's calendar too.

Thanks.

Ken Cowley
My book - www.notrunningaway.com
Email - kencowley@ireland.com