The Beast of Ballyhoura 2015 AR European Champs

lgk

Neady83 wrote: »

Thanks for that, it's good to know, one less thing in the kit box

No prob. You'll have extra space this year with the duffle bag per person, more gear required to go in it though. Not clear if will there be a food box per team or will that need to go in the duffles as well?

shotgunmcos

Had contact from a girl this morning looking to join a Team, if anyone looking... ?

On her way back from Oz and has podiums at shorter <6hr races etc...


4 weeks to go!!!

lgk

lgk wrote: »

Ivan has that on all his race kit lists, has been on the Beast list for as long as he's been running it, and the finish has always been the event HQ for the years I've been doing it.

Just reading through the kit list online there and it now says 'we will not be finishing back at the event centre'!

shotgunmcos

The live tracker link

10 days to go.... :pac:

sconhome

http://beastofballyhoura.com/downloads/details.pdf

Gulp!!

lgk

AKW wrote: »

http://beastofballyhoura.com/downloads/details.pdf

Gulp!!

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

Neady83

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

..... and the finish line is in a remote location :eek:

shotgunmcos

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

Yeah Race start time is same as finish time on Sunday. Hardly finishing before midday so 3hr30 bus to #godknowswhere, what are we doing for the couple of hours before race start? :eek:

At least we are getting maps Wednesday night

What team are you on lgk?

lgk

Neady83 wrote: »

..... and the finish line is in a remote location :eek:

Yeah, they updated that on the main site a couple of weeks ago. Food available at the end, and there will be buses back to the HQ. Hope the weather is nice!!

sconhome

lgk wrote: »

Wow, coach departure for the start is a lot earlier than I was hoping! Where's it going? Donegal? :eek:

I wouldn't rule it out!!

Was chatting a while back about the likelihood of the Wild Atlantic Way featuring heavily in the Beast at some point but thought it would be saved for ITERA 2016.

lgk

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Yeah Race start time is same as finish time on Sunday. Hardly finishing before midday so 3hr30 bus to #godknowswhere, what are we doing for the couple of hours before race start? :eek:

At least we are getting maps Wednesday night

What team are you on lgk?

One Track Mind this year.

Agree on the maps, will give us something to obsess over way too late into the night.

sconhome

First thought when I saw breakfast baps I was thinking of the pub in Portnew where we transitioned after the kayak last year.

Neady83

When I signed up to the team the Swimming section said only three members have to swim but it's been updated to this:

Swimming - teams will be required to cross rivers, lakes or coastal sections. For swim sections all members of each team must swim, PFD’s will be available if you feel you need one, and may be mandatory on some sections.

Gulp, I can't swim.

sconhome

Neady83 wrote: »

When I signed up to the team the Swimming section said only three members have to swim but it's been updated to this:

Swimming - teams will be required to cross rivers, lakes or coastal sections. For swim sections all members of each team must swim, PFD’s will be available if you feel you need one, and may be mandatory on some sections.

Gulp, I can't swim.

Suggest a tow line and one of these:

Neady83

AKW wrote: »

Suggest a tow line and one of these:

I'd be ok with that, thanks AKW

sconhome

Seriously though, no swimming ability at all?

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

No idea what is coming up but unlikely (I hope) to have a triathlon type swim leg.

Neady83

AKW wrote: »

Seriously though, no swimming ability at all?

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

No idea what is coming up but unlikely (I hope) to have a triathlon type swim leg.

I can float on my back in the pool and move around a bit but once my head realizes that my feet can't touch ground all hell break loose

It's gonna be interesting

lgk

AKW wrote: »

Definitely use the PDF and bring a towline. If there are stronger swimmers on the team they can help give you confidence in the water.

We tried a tow line last year, with me on the end of it. Didn't work well, guy towing kept getting his legs caught up in the line. So if you're considering it. maybe do what we didn't and try it out beforehand if you can.

pgibbo

Neady83 wrote: »

I can float on my back in the pool and move around a bit but once my head realizes that my feet can't touch ground all hell break loose

It's gonna be interesting

What about a buoyancy vest?

Neady83

pgibbo wrote: »

What about a buoyancy vest?

They will have PFDs available so I'm sure I'll be ok with that, as AKW said, hopefully they won't be long swims

pgibbo

Neady83 wrote: »

They will have PFDs available so I'm sure I'll be ok with that, as AKW said, hopefully they won't be long swims

Apologies, I should have checked what a PFD is. It's pretty much what I was suggesting. Might be no harm getting in to a pool with one before the event to ensure you can swim a bit whilst out of your depth

joey100

It's not your fault Pgibbo, AKW called it a PDF. Don't think you get much help swimming from one of them!

Definitely get in and try what it's like to swim in one before the day. The test to see if a PFD is still in working order is to tie a 6kg weight to it and it should still float. This is the minimum it needs to be able to float. They will help you stay up but you will need to do a bit of work too.

Neady83

pgibbo wrote: »

Apologies, I should have checked what a PFD is. It's pretty much what I was suggesting. Might be no harm getting in to a pool with one before the event to ensure you can swim a bit whilst out of your depth

Thanks pgibbo, I might do that this weekend

sconhome

joey100 wrote: »

It's not your fault Pgibbo, AKW called it a PDF. Don't think you get much help swimming from one of them!

Whoops!! Happens when I'm working on many different screens

Personal Floatation Device

shotgunmcos

@Neady you have a week, get thee to a pool. Doggy paddle, anything to move forward. The PFD will keep you afloat so don't worry.

I wouldn't bother with a tow as the line will get caught. In the 2 Beasts I've done

2012 it was an 800m swim and only 2 members had to do it.
2014 it was a 300m dark swim and 3 had to do it while the oher carried the stuff

AFAIK in 2013 all 4 had to swim across a small pond.

If you have to carry your gear on the swim just give it to the strongest swimmer. Worst case scenario, give your pack and the strongest swimmer's pack to the other 2 swimmers and the strongest swimmer can assist you, lifeguard style

Or the strongest swimmer can take all 4 packs packed into your bothy on a line behind him/her and the other 2 swimmers drag you in your PFD across. Ultimate Teamwork style

Depending on the water too in may not be that deep or you can coasteer around...

Still though, you have a week... find a lake and familiarise yourself!

lgk

shotgunmcos wrote: »

If you have to carry your gear on the swim just give it to the strongest swimmer.

Alternatively, stick the pack in a large drybag and use that as a float.

career move

I have my food divided up into: transition, bike/kayak and trek. Comes to approx 10600 kcal. Does that sound reasonable?

shotgunmcos

career move wrote: »

I have my food divided up into: transition, bike/kayak and trek. Comes to approx 10600 kcal. Does that sound reasonable?

Nope

72hrs. I'm estimating about 300kcals per hour or 8,000 kcals per day (inc an hours sleep per day). So thats 21,000 kcals*

*based on nutrition intake for our training days, 3k kcals over 8-10 hours

Even at a very modest 200kcals per hour (prob the min for your weight) you will need at least 14k Kcals

Can't be sure of breakfast rolls on the course this year!

career move

Thanks Mike. I'll reassess

In other news ... http://www.sleepmonsters.com/v2_races.php?article_id=9068

Finish is in Kilfinane! I'm going home!!!

sconhome

Waterford, Cork & Limerick ;-)