Gaelforce West - Discussion & Afters

yop

Enduro wrote: »

IIRC, I wore Asics Eagle trail runners. But it's all a personal choice, and there are plenty of factors to influence the decision. If the weather is good normal trainers would be fine. You'd just need to be aware of possible skidding around on the boggier sections. If you're training off road on the shoes then you'll be used to them, so all the better.

Agree with you about the party, if that's the case. Might cut the numbers down going to it, which in itself would be a shame.

Party info - http://www.gaelforcewest.ie/cmspage.php?_PageID=413

Ok trail runners, might have a look on internet and see if I can pick up a pair.

Enduro

yop wrote: »

Party info - http://www.gaelforcewest.ie/cmspage.php?_PageID=413

Ok trail runners, might have a look on internet and see if I can pick up a pair.

Careful now! That's just my choice, based on my own running background.

A tribute band party for 15 euros.... :eek::eek:

Enduro

Poncherello wrote: »

did my first session of hill training today. Ran from the junction of Enniskerry and Burrow Rd(basically just accross rd from Belarmayne) through a small gate up as far as Ballyendmonduff rd took a right and rejoined the trail up another bit. Didnt go all the way clocked it at 1.5K up and 500 feet of elevation. Approx 12 mins up and 8 mins down.
The top section is very rocky and quite difficult to descend on and I am wondering if this is they type of surface CP is ??
Did it twice and really enjoyed it. Will go farther next time.

Good man. Thats getting into the spirit of it alright.

IMHO, the nearest you get to CP conditions on the east coast is on the Sugarloaf (particularly the area around the summit cone). But the area I think you're describing (The boneshaker, and the main track up to fairy castle) are definitely good spots to practice/train.

Enduro

adagio wrote: »

Apparently 2400 have registered already.

:eek: Holy feck!

adagio

Hey Yop,

I wear Invo8's while competing in the IRMA, but I find they become uncomfortable when running for a prolonged time on tarmac.
And I wear Asics while general training.
It's purely a personal thing.... I'm still not sure which I will wear in the GF6!
This is my first GF6 and let me put a question out there:
If one starts with their trail runners - wears the same in the Kayak - is it best to change and clip in to the bike (I'll be on road racing bike) and place the trail runners in a small back pack for the cycling leg - OR - is it best to change to pedals and keep the trail runners on thus saving valuable change over time?
I'll be looking to make some serious time on the bike and overall I'll will be looking to finish in a competitive time with the runners.
Cheers:)

Sniipe

adagio wrote: »

Apparently 2400 have registered already.

Thats a huge increase from last year, where did you get that information?

How can they get away with that many people? There were parts last year on the first big trail hill and another few areas after that where it was almost like a swamp.

Imagine if its really wet this year? Chaos? Hopefully the routes they pick will be able to handle that many people. I remember actually a part where it was so messy that I hopped the fence and ran in the field beside it for a bit.

A lot of people I know this year went for a category above what they are because less people would have been thru the course and it will be a little easier for them.

yop

I think I will stick with the running shoes, can't really afford to be forking out on trail shoes just for one event.

Poncherello

2400 sounds wrong can anyone confirm this

adagio

Just waiting on mate to confirm he was told that 2400 had entered already - he received this info from the guys hosting the GF6 training weekend.
It's my understanding that the start time will not depend upon the category you have chosen, but when you decide to run. Therefore, it will make no difference if someone is choosing a category that is a step up from what they are actually capable of competing in, as Elites/Runners..etc will be mixed. Once again, I do not know this for certain - this is what the guys were told by the organizers of the training weekend.
The guys also commented about the necessity to start as early as possible as some parts of the first leg will be in shite condition.
Finally, regardless of what the guys were told at the training weekend I would take it all with a pinch of salt until the organizers make an announcement.:(:D

dapope

Poncherello wrote: »

2400 sounds wrong can anyone confirm this

I don't think they have 2,400 registered yet but they're expecting 2,500!

I attended the GF6 training weekend and I have to say it was excellent. The instructors were brilliant. I have no adventure running/biking/kayaking experience so I got a bit of a wake up call when it came to equipment, planning and race strategy. We covered the first two legs of the course on Saturday. Leg 1 (12.5 k) isn't too bad. One steep accent after 3k and a few long pulls and drags (one at the very start). I recommend the IMRA wednesday races, excelent prep for this leg. I wore my Salomon Speedcross 2 and they worked well. Alot of people were in asics, slipping and sliding even with conditions relatively dry, they learned their lesson. The right shoes will depend a lot on the weather conditions I guess. We spent a while kayaking (leg 2), my technique isn't the best but its a very short crossing (nothing like the 1.6k advertised) We finished the day with a bit of mountain biking.

The course finished officially on the Sunday morning after the debrief but the instructors generously offered to take anyone interested out to cover leg 4 (32k bike) and leg 5 (Croagh Patrick) so I signed up straight away.

I have never cycled properly in my life but I always taught I had the head for it. I rented a Hybrid for the day (que roaring laughter from the elites) I wanted a road bike but there were none available. We set off on leg 4 and I settled in after a few k and hammered it out with a few stops along the way to reestablish the group. I missed the turn for CP and ended up doing a few extra km but rejoined the group at the foot of the accent. I know nothing about bikes (yet) but everyone in the top 50 will more than likely be on a road bike with reinforced tires.

Enough about bikes, back to the running. I'd never been up CP before so I was really looking forward to this. Its pretty steep so a lot of the
accent was just fast walking. Its gonna be tough considering you roughly have 16K running and a 32k bike already in the legs. I sipped a bottle of water with a salt replacement tablet (nuun) mixed in on the bike and I had no problem with cramp or anything. The decent is mad (aka technical?) I loved it! Running passed walkers tip toeing their way down/up looking at you as if you've got 2 heads Salomons did the trick again.

Then is was back on the bike for the final leg into Westport. At this point there is roughly 2k where you take the bike off road and it gets rough. If i'm on a road bike race day i'll definitely need to get off and carry it for part of this. Due to time restrictions we didn't go all the way into the finish in Westport. Instead we headed out the coast road and back to Delphi adventure centre which was roughly another 30k. The scenery on this route is amazing.

The weekend was a great experience and left me confident I can complete the race. 65k is a long way for us beginners but its amazing how the mindand
body reboot in the transitions.

The one memory i'll take from the weekend was looking over my shoulder on the bike after coming off CP and thinking I was up at the top less than 20 minutes ago.

ronanmac

Great post, dapope... certainly answers my question regarding wearing trail shoes or reguler runners. Is much of the first run section off-road?

Did you find the first cycle route tough? I went by in the car last month, and there seems to be a monster of a hill smack bang in the middle!

Thanks for the tips from the weekend, any information us first-timers can get is invaluable!

yop

I think Siobhan Bennett said that they had about 1900 signed up so far.

Great post that. SO solomons are good. What about someone with shin problems, is there different gaits on those, I am still reluctant to purchase due to lack of funds but it maybe better than falling on my ass every five minutes!

Enduro

adagio wrote: »

This is my first GF6 and let me put a question out there:
If one starts with their trail runners - wears the same in the Kayak - is it best to change and clip in to the bike (I'll be on road racing bike) and place the trail runners in a small back pack for the cycling leg - OR - is it best to change to pedals and keep the trail runners on thus saving valuable change over time?
I'll be looking to make some serious time on the bike and overall I'll will be looking to finish in a competitive time with the runners.
Cheers:)

IMHO there is no definitive answer to this. Of the top 4 (close) competitors last year 2 went for running shoes all the way with no shoe changes and pedal clips on the bike, 2 went for shoe changes and using a proper clipless pedal system on the bike. There is no general answer for which is fastest... it depends on your own speeds an abilities.

Enduro

The decent is mad (aka technical?) I loved it! Running passed walkers tip toeing their way down/up looking at you as if you've got 2 heads

That sounds about right

Technical = Lunatic

GoHardOrGoHome

yop wrote: »

Great post that. SO solomons are good. What about someone with shin problems, is there different gaits on those, I am still reluctant to purchase due to lack of funds but it maybe better than falling on my ass every five minutes!

I have a pair of La Sportivas which are brilliant but I don't think they're readily available in Ireland. Jenny Kilbride was thinking about getting them in but I'm not sure if she ever did. Outdoor Evolution is the name of her shop. However, these were expensive (100 euro).

On the cheaper side of things I have a pair of Adidas Kanadia. They're a cheap trail running shoe. I find them really good though. They're cheap because they use cheap materials, no expensive gore-tex or expensive rubber. I find the sole grippy especially in mucky conditions. They were reduced to 40 euro from 80 euro in Elverys recently. Also, they're available for 40 quid sterling from www.startfitness.co.uk. Delivery is (I think) 10 euro? You might club together with someone else who's getting a pair and share the delivery cost.

I don't think you have to have trail runners for Gaelforce but I definitely prefer them. The extra cushioning that you generally get with road runners can be nice. Both the La Sportivas and the Adidas runners I have do not have much cushioning.

My two cents.

yop

dapope - did u have a backpack? Would any sort of small rucksack do or are we looking at a dencent one with straps?

On CP decent, you can stone surf the cone I nearly took a poor woman out of it there about 6 weeks ago when I did it! Some crack though!!!!

Thanks GoHardOrGoHome, I will have a look there.

Roddy23

In two minds whether to do this or not. I can comfortably run 10km at the moment, but any more will take a few weeks of training.

Training for the Connemara Half, myself and a mate ran up to the reek. I thought that was an absolute killer. But he ensured me that GaelForce would be a great way to train for the Dublin Marathon, as he had completed both last year.

I'm useless with Mountains, but I need a plan and a bit of variety to keep me interested in my training over the next few months.

Just wondering would it be too late to begin training?

Just checked the GF6 site
- theres 301 walker places left
- 0 jogger and runner places left
- and 143 elite and runner places left.

If I was going to do it, I'd be using an MTB - with slicks.

yop

You will be sound Roddy, I have been out for the last 4 weeks and have another 3 weeks left before I can start running so you will be well ahead of the like of fatboys like me!

If you are struggling just turn back and see me behind ya

Best of luck with it anyway.

estariol

Anyone know what they consider runner/elite level to be?

adagio

How much of the running, with the exclusion of CP, is on the road?
And it is definitely not too late to start training.:pac:
I'm in the same boat as Yop.... I have an injury and won't be able to start training for another 3/4 weeks... but then it's flat out for a month.:o
Cheers.

Peterx

I think elite level in GF6 is finishing in less then 4.5 hours so less the 55mins for the first run, less then 12 minutes for the paddle and so on.

Saloman speedcross 2 are a super shoe for this event; grippy, light, water shedding and decent cushioning. Should you be changing into bike shoes they even have a quick lacing system. As others have said though that's only an opinion!

Changing shoes for the bike really falls into personal preference and biking ability.
Starting and finishing in the same gear gives a great flow to the day and makes for quick transitions. Should you be mainly a biker then you might make up the time lost in changing your shoes 3/4 times (and having to carry running shoes on the bike) but if you're a masher like me then it's trailshoes all the way

This is a very doable event and great fun at all levels, I learned a lesson last time and won't be entertaining romantic notions about cyclocross bikes anymore. I do think it's apity that any race that is adventurous is doable on a roadbike but onthe other hand you can't argue with it's popularity.

Sniipe

adagio wrote: »

How much of the running, with the exclusion of CP, is on the road?
And it is definitely not too late to start training.:pac:

The breakdown last year:

Beach/Trail/road run = 12k
Kayak = 1.6k
Trail/Road run = 3.5k
cycle = 32.5k
CP up and down = 4.5k
cycle/offroad for a bit = 12.5k

So overall run minus CP is 12k+3.5k...

As for is it too late to train, I'm going to go for; no its not to late. I only trained for 3/4 weeks last year with a mid/low grade of fitness and did ok for a first time out...

adagio

Cheers for that Sniipe,
But I'm trying to establish how much of the running is on tarmac as this will help me to decide on what footwear to wear.
If there is little road I'm sticking w/my Invo8's, but if there is substantial road I will change to my Asics.
Cheers.;)

Sniipe

Jeez I couldn't guess that, besides isn't the route variable? I would guess, totally off the wall, that tarmac running was approximately 7k in total??? Would that be fair to say?

Sniipe

I had a look at my garmin map and it shows the overlay of roads http://connect.garmin.com/player/6526676

So from this I got, distances in KM;

Tarmac start:0.73
Tarmac End:3.48
Total:2.75

Tarmac start:9.94
Tarmac End:10.96
Total:1.02

Tarmac start:14.06
Tarmac End:15.93
Total:1.87

Overall total: 5.64km on Tarmac

So I was a little out with my guess of 7k.

Peterx

Unless it's bone dry a pair of trail shoes with decent cushioning would probably be better then road shoes. On a very dry day an experienced hillrunner would probably get away with road runners.
It's quite single tracky and slippy on the very first descent, it's pure bog just after the kayak and then there's Croagh Patrick which is a delightful combo of bog and loose rock. Most of the tarmac on the first run is uphill so not so pounding (no science just a perception )

VoteFoley

Well lad e o

adagio

Fair play Sniipe,
Thank for that.
I think I'll stick w/my Invo8's.
Though I'm still not sure about clips or pedals - 32k is a short distance therefore it's gonna have to be flat out. It'll be difficult to get used to the pedals again.
Can't wait.

adagio

Folks... 2296 have entered thus far.:eek:
Oh yeah!:o

NavanHobbler

VoteFoley wrote: »

Well lad e o

your some man!