Art O'Neill Challenge 2015

Gravale

Concentrate on hiking and more hiking. At this stage I wouldn't do less than 30k hikes each weekend. I've done 48k hikes each Sunday for the last three weeks and always perform better going solo.

Don't march to the beat of another's drum. Don't run around with the turkeys, fly with the eagles.

Gasherbraun

Gravale wrote: »

Concentrate on hiking and more hiking. At this stage I wouldn't do less than 30k hikes each weekend. I've done 48k hikes each Sunday for the last three weeks and always perform better going solo.

Don't march to the beat of another's drum. Don't run around with the turkeys, fly with the eagles.

Out of interest Gravale do you do any specific training for the event or are you naturally at a fitness level where you can just undertake it?

Do you still manage it on a Mars bar and some Lucozade ;-)

Gravale

My speed isn't what it used to be, but I can still get through it based purely on year-round activity.

1.5L of Lucozade Sport and two Mars bars does the job for me, but most of all it's my psychological approach:

It's only a 28k road walk with 798m total ascent to Ballynultagh, followed by a 24k mountain hike with 840m total ascent (13k of which is on forest trails) to Baravore.

It doesn't sound so bad when you look at it that way.

Mont Blanc

Thank you guys, that's very helpful.

Mad Benny

I have a question about the down jacket and Merino wool base layers. I have a Berghaus gore-tex fleece lined jacket that I use for hillwalking. Will this do?

Has anyone tried running with Merino wool base layers. I'm doing the hybrid. It's expensive gear. Don't want to buy it if it's not suitable.

Stark

Have Merino wool base layers for running in and very happy with them. Worth the investment.

Mad Benny

Stark wrote: »

Have Merino wool base layers for running in and very happy with them. Worth the investment.

Thanks Stark. Can you recommend a brand?

Mad Benny

Stark wrote: »

Have Merino wool base layers for running in and very happy with them. Worth the investment.

Thanks Stark. Can you recommend a brand?

Stark

Icebreaker, Smartwool, Ortovox are good brands imo. You might also be able to get cheaper ones that are still good quality in the Patagonia outlet store on Dublin's Exchequer street.

Mad Benny

Found this post from a previous year. Only the gear with asterixs beside them are mandatory.

See http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74536652&postcount=9

911sc

I am doing a bit of shopping as well....

List of gear is @ http://www.artoneillchallenge.ie/gear.html

mloc123

Heading up to Wicklow on Sunday to recce the section from Kippure to the wicklow gap road. To me that section and the section from there to the cross seem to be the more difficult parts to follow. The rest all looks to be road and well defined trail.

911sc

Interesting reading about base layers @ http://thenextchallenge.org/comparison-base-layer-materials/

Gasherbraun

mloc123 wrote: »

Heading up to Wicklow on Sunday to recce the section from Kippure to the wicklow gap road. To me that section and the section from there to the cross seem to be the more difficult parts to follow. The rest all looks to be road and well defined trail.

The section from Arts Cross to Table track is probably the most testing part of the route being a pretty much featureless and trackless area of bog and peat hags that is well worth getting a feel for before the event. Admittedly there is Three Lakes as a waypoint (normally actually two lakes) but these are hard to find in low visibility. Hitting Table track at the right point is also important and requires careful navigation in this section.

All of this is is undertaken when the body and mind are tired and you may well be questioning what the hell you are doing there :-)

Mad Benny

911sc wrote: »

Interesting reading about base layers @ http://thenextchallenge.org/comparison-base-layer-materials/

Thanks for providing the link. This part is interesting. Merino wool doesn't sound great for those running.

Even the thinnest types of wool tend to be warmer than synthetic tops so they are better suited to colder environments and less intense activity, particularly as they don’t wick as well (better than cotton but not a patch on synthetic). Running on a cold UK winter’s day, I found mine getting saturated with sweat and, similarly, my team mates skiing hard towing a pulk in Svalbard at -15C still preferred the more efficient wicking of their synthetic tops.

DogSlySmile

Merino wool is recommended by the organizers but its not a must have piece of kit. I did AON last year in a base layer I bought in Lidl (€7 or €8) and a regular running t-shirt on top. I stuck the rain jacket on when I got out onto the open mountain as it was windy and I was slowing down a bit. But there is really no need to spend €80-90 on a base layer, just keep moving, have a "just in case" layer in your bag and let the thoughts of the hot soup, porridge and hot chocoloate at the CPs keep you going

ThisRegard

Mad Benny wrote: »

Thanks for providing the link. This part is interesting. Merino wool doesn't sound great for those running.

I have a few Icebreaker merino wool tops, even a pair of leggings (I wouldn't wear them running, just under waterproofs if hiking, or for skiing). I also have some those Helly Hansen Lifa tops in that article.

I'm not sure which I prefer, the Helly Hansen Lifa tops are great, I've always loved them as they're brilliant at wicking. You can take one off and the inside is practically dry with all dampness on the outside.

The merino ones are better at keeping you warm though without over heating, and I'd probably wear them in the colder weather when in the hills, I wouldn't usually wear one just out of a road run. But I do find the same thing as the reviewer in that they can become really saturated if wet. It's not a problem in that the dampness makes you cold, you still remain warm when you're active or have another layer

mloc123

I hiked some of the section from CP1 yesterday, after the forest it was very wet and boggy... I couldn't find anything that looked like a trail so just stuck to solid looking ground. Some frost might help for the event...

Gasherbraun

mloc123 wrote: »

I hiked some of the section from CP1 yesterday, after the forest it was very wet and boggy... I couldn't find anything that looked like a trail so just stuck to solid looking ground. Some frost might help for the event...

I would guess a lot of Wicklow is waterlogged at present - certainly where I was over weekend was a quagmire. There is a faint trail on the SE side of the Balinagee River leading towards the forest entrance at O488 386 but at that point you may have daylight (visibility is not a given however) and see the forest entrance anyway. Depending on where you are in the field these tracks may be more enhanced by people ahead of you.

From CP2 the Glenreemore Valley can also be very wet and soft and contouring up the drier slopes to the SW of the river is worth considering. You still get to visit the cross but avoid the steep climb from the plaque.

As for frost and frozen ground you may have this according to a lot of forecasts. However the weather that gives you that ground can provide its own challenges. Just ask anyone who did the event in 2011.

Stark

Gasherbraun wrote: »

As for frost and frozen ground you may have this according to a lot of forecasts. However the weather that gives you that ground can provide its own challenges. Just ask anyone who did the event in 2011.

That was the year I did it. Fond memories (especially of the beautiful snow covered road from Stone Cross to Kippure, made that section far more interesting) Only issue I remember was the freezing fog over the Black Hill section. Made navigation very difficult. Other than that, the ground was very enjoyable to run on, fastest time I've ever done over the three lakes terrain.

mloc123

A question on water sources.. I have no problem using streams etc..
Are there any sources between the start and CP1? Don't fancy carrying too much water for that 30km

Gasherbraun

mloc123 wrote: »

A question on water sources.. I have no problem using streams etc..
Are there any sources between the start and CP1? Don't fancy carrying too much water for that 30km

There are streams but not sure how good they are to drink from; they would be relatively low level and springing in areas where livestock graze.

Could you find a place you can locate easily on the night and cache some water there? You would need to carry it or the empty container to CP1. For the record I am not a runner so not sure if this is considered against the spirit of the event.

Gravale

There's no source of water apart from the two branches of the Shankill River alongside the Kilbride Army Camp around 20k. Getting down to them might be awkward though in the dark.

DogSlySmile

mloc123 wrote: »

A question on water sources.. I have no problem using streams etc..
Are there any sources between the start and CP1? Don't fancy carrying too much water for that 30km

We'll pass a couple of pubs on the road section

Djoucer

mloc123 wrote: »

A question on water sources.. I have no problem using streams etc..
Are there any sources between the start and CP1? Don't fancy carrying too much water for that 30km

No real water sources and as gravale says, more hassle than it’s probably worth.

The mandatory gear list does say that you must carry a drink at all times so stashing stuff ahead of the day might be against the spirit of the race. Then again, there is soup and drinks available at CP1.

In past races, you don’t tend to drink that much. It’s fairly cold, you don’t lose much fluid through sweating etc. You can hydrate ahead of the race without worrying too much about look breaks. 500ml was fine for me to CP1.

mloc123

Djoucer wrote: »

No real water sources and as gravale says, more hassle than it’s probably worth.

The mandatory gear list does say that you must carry a drink at all times so stashing stuff ahead of the day might be against the spirit of the race. Then again, there is soup and drinks available at CP1.

In past races, you don’t tend to drink that much. It’s fairly cold, you don’t lose much fluid through sweating etc. You can hydrate ahead of the race without worrying too much about look breaks. 500ml was fine for me to CP1.

Yeah. I did 20km last night on about 250ml of water so I guess 1l would do me on the night. I am probably just over thinking it In reality an extra 1kg isn't going to kill me.

Enduro

I've never needed to drink water between the start and CP1. It's not a requirement to have it with you on that section. Easiest way to deal with this is to not drink on this section!

mloc123

Enduro wrote: »

I've never needed to drink water between the start and CP1. It's not a requirement to have it with you on that section. Easiest way to deal with this is to not drink on this section!

Haha, I think we may be leagues apart in terms of fitness and perspiration levels tho

Stark

mloc123 wrote: »

Haha, I think we may be leagues apart in terms of fitness and perspiration levels tho

Well it's going to be the middle of the night so you're not likely to be perspiring much. I'd say bring 250ml if you need to take some water to feel comfortable but 1L would be way excessive IMO.

Mad Benny

Does anybody run with the head torch for the road part?