gaelforce west 20/8/2011

TheEagles

For those who have done or in training for GFW, where is the best place to park if you wanted to try the croagh patrick run section? I did sea 2summit and we went up the front path, but i think the GF route is up the back???

yop

You need to go up the back route.
You are heading out the leenaun road in Westport.
Heading for Knappagh.
In Knappagh there is a filling station on your left.
After there there is a right corner and a left corner.

You will see on your right a sign for Owenwee and the dog kennels, a narrow road just over a little bridge.
Take this road, about 50m up there, the road forks, take the LEFT fork.
Take this road for roughly 1km, the road forks again, take the RIGHT fork, you can't miss Croagh Patrick anyway!
Go up there a few KM, you will pass a few houses and sheds etc. Up on the right you will see an area with 2 portacabins and an area for parking.

If the weather is foggy its not great to go up on your own.

Enjoy.

TheEagles

yop wrote: »

You need to go up the back route.
You are heading out the leenaun road in Westport.
Heading for Knappagh.
In Knappagh there is a filling station on your left.
After there there is a right corner and a left corner.

You will see on your right a sign for Owenwee and the dog kennels, a narrow road just over a little bridge.
Take this road, about 50m up there, the road forks, take the LEFT fork.
Take this road for roughly 1km, the road forks again, take the RIGHT fork, you can't miss Croagh Patrick anyway!
Go up there a few KM, you will pass a few houses and sheds etc. Up on the right you will see an area with 2 portacabins and an area for parking.

If the weather is foggy its not great to go up on your own.

Enjoy.

Great stuff, thanks for that...

Enduro

ultrapercy wrote: »

Im sure like every other business the research has been done and the no show situation can be factored into the model (do I even know what Im trying to say??) Im not saying they make a fortune but they make a nice profit and not offering a deferal/transfer policy is imo profitering.

I think I understand what your saying alright. I think that you might be underestimating some of the difficulties involved. Remember that for normal entries everything runs automatically. Each individual runner doesn't have any admin overhead in time terms. But if you were to transfer an entry to another race that would be a manual intervention requiring time (and therefore money) to achieve. 900 of those is a lot of work.

ultrapercy wrote: »

The (possibly ott/dramatic effect) destroying sport remark was made more with the road racing scene in mind. Theres an awfull lot of over priced poor value races taking away from established well run club events. I was in the moment.As you say tho its up to people to vote with their cash.

Would agree with you there so!

yop

Enduro wrote: »

I think I understand what your saying alright. I think that you might be underestimating some of the difficulties involved. Remember that for normal entries everything runs automatically. Each individual runner doesn't have any admin overhead in time terms. But if you were to transfer an entry to another race that would be a manual intervention requiring time (and therefore money) to achieve. 900 of those is a lot of work.



Would agree with you there so!

Its very possible to do it, I have worked in developing a freight booking system for the countries largest shipping company. These guys deal with 250 bookings per sailing and 12 sailings per day in and out of 6 ports.
On avg there is a 10% transfer per sailing, traffic delays, breakdown etc.
Using the reg they can transfer freight from one sailing to another in a matter of seconds.

Now considering this year that GF will be in or about 3250 people at 80 euro avg a head, then I am sure they can put in place a little system to do this.
Since the bookings are taken in online and they can send out mail shots then they are using IT as the bones of their system.

All I am saying its very well achievable and with the "environment"" we are in then 80 or 90 euro is a nice amount of money to people.
No one registers with the intention of pulling out, and a transfer policy to another year, they don't need to transfer waves, would be easily achieved.

RayCun

Look at it from the point of view of the event organisers

If they know that for every 500 tickets they sell, 50 people aren't going to turn up on the day, they can reduce some of their costs accordingly. If they allow number transfers then a higher proportion of people are going to turn up, so they need more water, more food, more goodie bags, whatever. And also 50 people who would have bought entries from them are now buying entries from people who decide they don't want to do the event.

So the event has the admin hassle of transfers, higher costs on the day, and lower revenue. If they want to keep their profit levels the same - and they do, whether they are private organisers or clubs raising funds for the year - they would have to lower costs some other way, or raise prices.

The people who buy event entries and don't show up are subsidising everyone else.

Enduro

Oh I know it would be easy enough to do if the software was written to enable it. But of course that's another cost (either writing the software, or purchasing the appropriate software / service to handle the process). I don't doubt that it can be done. I'm just saying that there is likely to be a cost overhead involved.

But in the end its in the T&C's that it is not allowed. When you enter you sign up to the T&Cs. If you don't like them don't enter. If you think it's greedy or whatever then vote with your wallet and don't enter the race in the first place! No point in moaning about the point afterwards on an internet forum, when everything is perfectly clear and upfront. TBH it's a bit idiotic to sign up to the T&Cs and expect them to change afterwards just because you don't like them (All the "you"s there being generic, not aimed at anyone specific here)

yop

Enduro wrote: »

Oh I know it would be easy enough to do if the software was written to enable it. But of course that's another cost (either writing the software, or purchasing the appropriate software / service to handle the process). I don't doubt that it can be done. I'm just saying that there is likely to be a cost overhead involved.

But in the end its in the T&C's that it is not allowed. When you enter you sign up to the T&Cs. If you don't like them don't enter. If you think it's greedy or whatever then vote with your wallet and don't enter the race in the first place! No point in moaning about the point afterwards on an internet forum, when everything is perfectly clear and upfront. TBH it's a bit idiotic to sign up to the T&Cs and expect them to change afterwards just because you don't like them (All the "you"s there being generic, not aimed at anyone specific here)

I take all the "yous" personal

T&C can't be changed mid event I agree with that, but for future years they should allow ONLY the registered person to transfer to another year ONLY.
No wave transfers, no allowing others to have your entry or that.

If they are pulling in 250k euro + per year before costs I am sure they could afford a few k on a booking system like that

RayCun

yop wrote: »

T&C can't be changed mid event I agree with that, but for future years they should allow ONLY the registered person to transfer to another year ONLY.

If they raised the price by 5%, and allowed single year deferrals, how would you feel?

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

RayCun wrote: »

If they raised the price by 5%, and allowed single year deferrals, how would you feel?

Isn't the price creeping up slowly each year anyways?

RayCun

Mr Freeze wrote: »

Isn't the price creeping up slowly each year anyways?

I've no idea :pac:
If the price went up an extra 5% then?

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

RayCun wrote: »

I've no idea :pac:
If the price went up an extra 5% then?

Its expensive enough already without giving them ideas to raise it further.

Anyways, I better sit back and let Yop answer the question.

RayCun

I don't have a dog in this fight anyway.
Legal entry transfers are a good thing. But there are lots of things that races can do to improve, and most of them are not free. I think people sometimes don't understand that this is one of the 'not free' things. If some of the risk of entering a race is removed, that will have a cost.

yop

RayCun wrote: »

If they raised the price by 5%, and allowed single year deferrals, how would you feel?

Well at the 85 euro rate you are looking at a 4+ euro extra, so would I prefer to pay 4 euro extra or lose 85 euro..... aint no rocket science in that one.

Its the Ryanair of events

Fi H

yop wrote: »

Well at the 85 euro rate you are looking at a 4+ euro extra, so would I prefer to pay 4 euro extra or lose 85 euro..... aint no rocket science in that one.

Its the Ryanair of events

I think its unfair to say its the Ryanir of events!

It may operate a Ryanair type policy on refunds or transfers but it certainly doesnt scrimp in terms of quality of event!

yop

Fi H wrote: »

I think its unfair to say its the Ryanir of events!

It may operate a Ryanair type policy on refunds or transfers but it certainly doesnt scrimp in terms of quality of event!

Note the wink ( ) there Fi, it was said in jest!

Quality, maybe yes last was improved last year, but the previous year was a shambles, that down to different owners.

But for the price again, it does lack.

makl

There is no way there should be an issue with changing a name on a form. A name, thats it nothin else, at the very least. Feck the t&c's. Shops dont have to give you a cash refund if you buy something but 90% are Sound about it and give you the refund. They understand return business. These boyos are just profiteering. No reason anyone should accept it just because its in the T&Cs.

centre back

4 stars (good)

a lot of angry people on this page lately:D! but jokes a side, i can understand where every one is coming from, while an injury is a horrible way to have to pull out of an event where you have paid so much money and trained months for, its pretty clear in the terms when you signed up for it that their is no refund. can it be done better? yes!! hopefully in the future they will be able to sort out this problem, as i know that you are not the only person who will have to pull out due to injury!! i hope darabbit that your'e injury heals and are back on your'e feet soon, but can we get back to the actual race, and helpful hints and insight's??

SO ENDURO how can we all finish under 4 hours??:)

nerraw1111

Anyone know of a cycling plan to follow for last four weeks?

Running is going well so would like to concentrate at bit more on the bike. I know next to nothing about bike training other than trying to go fast and going up hill.

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

Did the cycle and the reek today again. Was with a buddy of mine and we decided to do a trial of the descent routes. He took the path and I went as the crow flies. I beat him to the car park by 5 seconds. My plan is to only go off road if the path is heavily congested. We had a "experience" while on what we thought was the last cycle leg. Some feckin local postman has a lot to answer for.

centre back

4 stars (good)

isn't padraig marrey a postman i westport?? should of asked him for tips:D

snailsong

4 stars (good)

Rawhead wrote: »

Did the cycle and the reek today again. Was with a buddy of mine and we decided to do a trial of the descent routes. He took the path and I went as the crow flies. I beat him to the car park by 5 seconds. My plan is to only go off road if the path is heavily congested. We had a "experience" while on what we thought was the last cycle leg. Some feckin local postman has a lot to answer for.

Was that you guys going up about 1 o'clock? I was coming down at that time with my buddy and met two guys at the start of the zig zag path. I had a blue cycling top on and he wore a yellow jersey. he was about 5 minutes ahead of me after tearing down in 16 minutes, the bollix. Was a lovely day for it, the path is in fairly good condition.

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Anyone know of a cycling plan to follow for last four weeks?

Running is going well so would like to concentrate at bit more on the bike. I know next to nothing about bike training other than trying to go fast and going up hill.

No Plan really, just get out on it more, and get some hills in (maybe do the hills multiple times), and work on speed on the flats, get down on the drops and try maintain a high average speed.

Same as running really, only way to improve is to do more and more.

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

snailsong wrote: »

Was that you guys going up about 1 o'clock? I was coming down at that time with my buddy and met two guys at the start of the zig zag path. I had a blue cycling top on and he wore a yellow jersey. he was about 5 minutes ahead of me after tearing down in 16 minutes, the bollix. Was a lovely day for it, the path is in fairly good condition.

That was us alright, your mate was fairly motoring. I think I will stick with the trail, as I said, unless the trail is seriously congested then it is as quick or quicker than off road. Would be lovely to get a day like yesterday for the race.

I don't think the postman who sent us off road to Louisburgh was Marrey, I'll be meeting him at the quay with a 2x4 if it was.

snailsong

4 stars (good)

I'll be sticking to the path too. How was your time yesterday Rawhead? You did a great time up last time as i recall. Much improvement on the path?

LaHaine

4 stars (good)

Can any one recommend good shorts that can be used for cycling and running? I.e. with padding but not enough that it would effect running

Triathlon style I presume. Anything in particular I should look for?

Rawhead

4 stars (good)

We only did up to where the paths meet but time was similar that far. You did a good descent but your mate must have rolled half way down to do it in 16 mins. I have a triathlon on Saturday and didn't want to dog it completely, my quads were in bits after the last day. Not going near the reek now till the race, as someone said earlier, its a big giver of injuries.

Head down now with the cycling and running..

snailsong

4 stars (good)

Almost. If he'd gone arse over tit on the stones the momentum would have taken him as far as the bikes.

Best of luck.

Fi H

LaHaine wrote: »

Can any one recommend good shorts that can be used for cycling and running? I.e. with padding but not enough that it would effect running

Triathlon style I presume. Anything in particular I should look for?

I have 2xu ones that are perfect for this stuff! also good as they dry quickly when your ass gets wet in the kayaks

nerraw1111

For those interested, as of today, Irish Rail are now taking bookings for bikes on their trains to Westport the day before Gaelforce.