On the 18th August 12 Slaney Olympians along with other friends took part in the Gaelforce West Adventure Race.

Well done to everybody. Rory was our first man home in a fantastic 4.51. There were plenty of PB’s but the greatest hero of the day was Ger Murphy who, despite suffering from severe cramp, dug deep and continued on to complete the event. Below is an account of the Porters race followed by a report by Rory and then the full results for everyone in the club.

Jane & Graham’s Report

We had all opted for a third wave start which meant being in the centre of Westport before 6am to get the bus which took us to the race start on Glasilaun Beach just south of Killary fjord at 7.30am. Conditions were perfect (dry, calm and mild) as we waited on the road above the beach and cheered on the second wave as they started on their way. Soon it was our turn as we scrambled off the beach onto a minor road for a few kilometres before going offroad along the sometimes rocky, sometimes muddy famine track along the southern shore of Killary fjord. We got back onto tarmac after another few K and then after a brief encounter with the N59 we hurtled down a decidedly muddy lane to complete the first 13K stage of the race.

Now for the IK kayak across Killary in sit on double kayaks. We were timed out here in case there were any queues waiting for kayaks. The smart thing to do is to take a rest and fuel up at this stage without loss of time. However the enthusiastic Porters were so gung ho that they leapt in to the first available boat and paddled furiously across the fjord while their wiser,more experienced clubmates sensibly enjoyed their time out. Stage 2 completed we now had a 3.5K run to the bike transition in Delphi where we had left our trusty steeds the day before. For the first K or more the going was more than soft on unadulterated bog. By the time we reached firmer ground our feet were heavy with soggy peat as we plodded our way along the road to Delphi.  

Our bike transition was a masterclass in what not to do. As our fellow Slaneyites came and went we were still changing clothes and reorganising bags as well as trying to get some food on board. All this time was counted in as part of stage 4. Eventually we were on our way.

 The initial part of the 33K cycle was flat and easy and altogether quite an enjoyable change from bogslogging! It was along this stage that poor Ger was stricken by severe cramp and ended up in the ditch. We didn’t see him but Barry stopped and came to his assistance. Soon we were nearly at a standstill ourselves as we abandoned the saddle and pushed the bikes up the latter stages of the steep climb to the top of the Sheeffrey Pass. After some quick refuelling and admiring the view we enjoyed a lengthy downhill section though care was needed on the initial couple of hairpin bends. The last few K of the cycle were off road on unsurfaced tracks which were manageable with care but we were glad that we had equipped our bikes with tough gater skins in place of road tyres.

Soon we were dumping the bikes in a field and surveying The Reek in all its rocky majesty. The change from the bikes to climbing on foot was surprisingly welcome. But this was probably our best part of the race. The old experience of putting the head down and getting one foot in front of the other and damn the incline came into play. We got to the summit in 46 minutes but the sure footedness of younger years was missing as we struggled on the shifting rocks on the descent.

So now we had only one more stage to go as we grabbed our bikes and dragged them up to the road.After an initial fast downhill on tarmac we turned left offroad on an initially cyclable track. But it soon changed its tune and resembled a rocky river bed descending downhill. Those with the strength carried their bikes but we jogged along with our bikes bouncing along beside us. Disaster struck as Graham’s chain came off  and managed to get into a knot. After some initial attempts to disentagle it it became obvious that the back wheel would have to come off. How we rued our lack of experience and failure to practise this manoeuvre before the race. However Graham used his charm and soon had help from another competitor so we were soon on our way again and back onto surfaced road. After a slight delay as a less fortunate competitor was being stretchered into an ambulance we were back on main roads with Westport Quay only 3K away. Graham had a close eye on the stopwatch and shouted that if we pushed hard we could finish inside 7 hours. Thankfully it was a flat cycle and as we rounded the corner and shot along the barriered off cycle route being cheered along by the onlookers I felt as though I was finishing the Tour de France. But the worst was yet to come. As we left the cheering crowds behind and dumped our bikes for the last time to tackle the final 800 metre run back to the finish on the Quay our tired legs argued furiously with our brains as we willed ourselves forward with the clock clicking unrelentingly towards 7 hours.

We made it in 6.57!  

Gaelforce West 2012Posted on September 1, 2012 by Rory McCauley

Gaelforce West 2012 was a great event, the buzz of doing a race like this stayed for many days after. The race started with a 9 mile run from the beach over a hilly trail for about 3 miles and then transitioned to a boggy hillside run for what seemed a mile or so. The pathways here were very narrow, below is a pic of the route after that hillside run and onto better trails and then road. I made a mistake of getting caught at the back of the pack at the start and had to burn up more energy than I would of liked getting through the pack on the narrow route. Once passed the hilly rock part in the middle I settled into a decent pace for the last 5 mile at which I was conscious there was a long way to go.

After the 9 mile run there’s a break for the non elite runners and the watch is stopped, the idea is prevent a pile up for the next event, the Kayaks across Killary for 1KM. I took a gel and some water with electrolytes as the weather was warm. Also during the 9 mile run I ate half a pack of wine gums and 500 ml of flat coke. After 10 mins of recovery I set off with my brother Connor who had a ran a great first leg of 1.07.. We got across in a good spin despite the fact that the 2 of us are left handed and have no coordination at all. The next step was a 3.5km bog run. At this stage Connor set off as me and my mate Niall slapped around the bog. It only takes one second to lose concentration and and bang, you’re on your arse.

The next part was my favourite as we transitioned to the 33 Km bike section. I loved the buzz of putting the bike gear on and rolling off on the bike into the Connemara hills. Niall set a good strong pace on the bike and I found the bike bit tricky, I just hadn’t put in the training for this part. I was ok on the hills going up but so unsure of myself going down the hills and felt I lost a good bit of time there. Also the last part of this stage was cycling up to Croagh Patrick. It’s an imposing site that mountain and I preferred not to look
up too often as we climbed the last trail up there.

Off the bike, a quick stop for water and myself and Niall started up Croagh. I was feeling ok at this stage as we headed up the mountain, I had eaten a banana and a good few wine gums on the bike and took one more electrolyte tab and a gel. Niall mentioned we were struggling to break the 5 hours as we went along and I decided to make a burst for it. Head down and just keep going was my plan and it’s tricky to take in the scenery as I pushed on.

My abiding memory at the top was wondering how the lad selling 2 slabs of coke cans got up there and did he feel it was worth it! At the top, I pretty much took 5 seconds to take in the view  and started right back down. This was my best part of the race and I flew down, partly sliding/jumping almost all the way, unlike the bike going down hills I was quite sure on my feet. I went down the side of the mountain through the heather to avoid the traffic and enjoy the softness of the ground there and was back on the bike for the last 13 Km stage.

There were a few dodgy paths to get past on the bike, at one infamous part called the Skelp I lifted the bike over the rocks as I saw the competitor in front of me go over his handlebars after jamming a wheel. Back onto the road this was a great part as I knew this part of the route having driven into Westport the day before and pushed the legs as much as I could. It’s a great rush coming into the crowd and cycling round Westport Quay and into the last bit which is a 800M foot run to the finish. Finished over the line at a time of 4.51.44 and then time for some barn brack and vegtable soup of all things!

There were a gang of us that went up and it was a great weekend all together, yes there’s a bit of work in organising and getting the bikes ready the day before but well well worth it. For all you nerds below is an analysts of how all 12 Slaney Olympians performed in the Gaelforce West Adventure Race 2012.