IMRA season 2015

ThisRegard

Either way, many didn't. Most may be over stating it, but enough for it to be commented on by people.

Slogger Jogger

The jacket compliance level was pretty good (certainly with regulars) but it should be part of each Race Director's instructions in the days beforehand and at the start line. I reckon if the RD last night had mentioned jacket then you would have had quite a few runners looking sheepish. I saw one guy take his jacket off and stash it on the grass verge. I had already done my policing bit by warning someone not to wear headphones. As for touching the cross I wasn't aware of it until I read the instructions and did follow them last night, one of the few. Depending on your route up you could have saved vital seconds by not veering left, and those seconds are all the more important on a short race such as Bray, as you'll see close finishes throughout the field.

eoinín

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

I reckon if the RD last night had mentioned jacket then you would have had quite a few runners looking sheepish.

I reckon most people wouldn't have heard the comments! IMRA should think about putting a megaphone on their shopping list - its tough trying to address 200 + people with just your voice.

Slogger Jogger

eoinín wrote: »

I reckon most people wouldn't have heard the comments! IMRA should think about putting a megaphone on their shopping list - its tough trying to address 200 + people with just your voice.

A megaphone was part of the kit. Was rarely used from what I can see and doesn't appear to be with the kit anymore.

DubOnHoliday

how hard can it be to say at registration...if you finish the race without a jacket, your result is not recorded.
I guess you'd have 100% compliance pretty quickly.

Djoucer

Only one way to find out. Volunteer and see how you get on.

The Bray race is the busiest of the year and from what I could see, most people had jackets. I don't think anyone is deliberately trying to avoid it, rather it's the first LL ever to have the rule so it's reasonable to expect that people didn't know/forget.

In danger of making a mountain out of a mole hill. I don't think anyone is expecting 100% compliance at the first race.

The volunteers at registration were up to their eyes before, during and after the race.

DubOnHoliday

Djoucer wrote: »

Only one way to find out. Volunteer and see how you get on.

The Bray race is the busiest of the year and from what I could see, most people had jackets. I don't think anyone is deliberately trying to avoid it, rather it's the first LL ever to have the rule so it's reasonable to expect that people didn't know/forget.

In danger of making a mountain out of a mole hill. I don't think anyone is expecting 100% compliance at the first race.

The volunteers at registration were up to their eyes before, during and after the race.

A bit silly to say volunteer yourself and see how you get on. I'm not the one who posted the rule on the website.

But you are right, there is no major problem here, as for compliance, I am pretty sure the people who have the jackets expect others to have them too.

Djoucer

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

A bit silly to say volunteer yourself and see how you get on. I'm not the one who posted the rule on the website.

Sorry, didn't mean that to be as sarky as it came across.

DubOnHoliday

Djoucer wrote: »

Sorry, didn't mean that to be as sarky as it came across.

I know

It was only my 2nd event, I'll be volunteering down the line for sure

eoinín

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

how hard can it be to say at registration...if you finish the race without a jacket, your result is not recorded.
I guess you'd have 100% compliance pretty quickly.

At parkrun we are FOREVER reminding people about "no barcode = no result". Yet every week ca. 10% of finishers are unknown. Some people seem happy enough to run without an official record. You'd need to prevent people from starting without a jacket if you wanted 100% compliance. But I can't imagine how you would do that.

ThisRegard

Djoucer wrote: »

I don't think anyone is deliberately trying to avoid it,

You're too trusting of people ! I was at a race last year, mandatory jacket. Get around the corner from the start, bunch of people shoved their jackets into the trees and hedges to be collected later.

barryoneill50

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

I know

It was only my 2nd event, I'll be volunteering down the line for sure

Ah here, I've volunteered already and Ive never even ran one yet:pac:

DubOnHoliday

barryoneill50 wrote: »

Ah here, I've volunteered already and Ive never even ran one yet:pac:

And, nobody got lost! Well done

Slogger Jogger

Super selection of photos on the imra site of the race.
Great little video too which shows a selection of descending techniques from good to not so good with a wonderful backdrop of the Bray seascape.

ThisRegard

That video is very interesting to watch the variety of techniques, the more relaxed seem to be faster. And it's got me overtaking 2 people on the descent so I'm happy with that because I look a mess going the other direction earlier in it.

Scenery looks great, something you can never really appreciate mid race.

fletch

Did my first IMRA race today (Tonelagee and lap of the Lake). Despite the horrible weather, nearly missing registration (although the reward was a cross country blast ), and forgetting some mandatory kit (the map and compass, thank you so much to the others who lent me what I was short), I absolutely loved it! I will definitely be back for more.
It certainly was a race where mandatory kit was required so the director was totally right to refuse me entry without the kit. Once or twice I lost sight of the guy in front and I got quite scared as visibility was very low and it was very easy to get disorientated. I can't wait to go back to Lough Ouler on a good day as it was stunning, even in the miserable conditions.

Slogger Jogger

Agreed Fletch. Conditions were tough but it was oddly fun to slog through the bog, up and down. Loved the start section down St Kevins way. Didn't love so much the next section over the gorse. Lough Ouler always seemed to be over the next hill and in retrospect we veered too left to get there. The run around the heart-shaped lake was fun and we had a spread-out group of about 5 at this point. Always easier to run with a group around. Made good progress up the top which went on for quite a while. Made a basic mistake at the top by trusting a compass while on the move, so didn't take the proper bearing right which would have given me a decent enough result (for me). But corrected it before it turned too drastic. :rolleyes: Good fun though and yet another lesson learned.

DubOnHoliday

Forecast doesn't look too good for Howth tonight. Hopefully it will hold off!

DubOnHoliday

Good event tonight. If I was to say one thing that could be improved, none of the people I asked knew what the route was, and the 600 metres of road running at the start was not necessary. Other than that, great race, the weather was grand and then just when you think you're finished you hear 'go around again'

ThisRegard

The start down the road was necessary because otherwise everyone but the very front guys would have been walking from the start due to congestion at the steps. I reckon people down the field were walking as it was at that point.

jlang

I always found Howth tougher than the height/length stats suggest - a mix of the repeated ups and downs and intense running in between combined with the intense concentration needed running down in the forest.

I'd say the bit of road at the start was very warranted to spread the crowd out - I preferred it to running a lap of the GAA pitch. Anyway, it should be legitimate to expect to run uphill in a mountain race. At the start, the RD did describe the route including confirming that it was the long winter lap and that there were two laps in the race, but few would have heard. As this information wasn't available earlier in the day/week it would have been a surprise.

I described the marking as adequate but not extravagant but heard many giving out about it at the finish. Similarly, the requirement for both hat and jacket was probably sensible on the night with both wind and rain about. I didn't need either but both would have been on straight away if I'd had to stop for any reason.

DubOnHoliday

jlang wrote: »

I described the marking as adequate but not extravagant but heard many giving out about it at the finish.

In the last section it was easy to go wrong several times, until you saw tape maybe 5 metres down the other direction.

By the way, the photos are awesome.
Fair play to all the photographers.

Slogger Jogger

Personally I didn't like the road start but I appreciate that the field needed to be thinned out before the single track.

There was a few junctions where I was second guessing myself and guessed right. However, at the end I guessed wrong and ended up on golf course. Probably lost a load of places as a result, doh. Personally I would have had more marking or an arrow at some of the junctions.

The race was longer than I expected and I probably would have paced myself more evenly had I known. Each lap consisted of 2 smaller loops so it was easy to misconstrue what the RD said when he said 2 loops. The forum had said just one loop too - the RDs words. The forum details on distance were markedly different to what we ended up running too.

It was a tough event, particularly with the added gale. The photos are great as usual from John.

ThisRegard

In defence of the marking, coming to a turn there was tape before the turn on the side the turn goes, tape at the turn, and then bits of tape after the turn to confirm you're heading the right way, as in the guidelines.

Due to the nature of Howth maybe it's easier to miss a turn as you can't see around the corners or too far ahead with the trees and bushes, there was 4 or 5 out marking at one point and the consensus was at the time that it was adequate, but I guess it's different at race pace. Maybe bits were blown or knocked off?

I wasn't there for the briefing so can't comment on that.

DubOnHoliday

Another great race last Wed on the Scalp.
Next Wed on Carrick Mountain, looks daunting, if a little evil.

DubOnHoliday

Ahead of Carrick Mountain race tonight I went to check it out last Sunday, got lost after I started following game trails (how does anyone get lost on a single peak mountain top :eek:), spent half an hour clambering over cut down trees before I got back on track.
Lots of loose rock on the climb and descent. Should make it interesting

AdpRo

F**k me that was tough!! Loved the decent and passed out loads but the first mile nearly killed me and I was walking the majority of it!

DubOnHoliday

AdpRo wrote: »

F**k me that was tough!! Loved the decent and passed out loads but the first mile nearly killed me and I was walking the majority of it!

Yeah the climb is relentless, Calf muscles in bits by the time I got to the top.
Besides that, another super Wednesday night's racing.

DogSlySmile

The world champion Irish mountain runner you’ve never heard of
http://the42.ie/2197494

Good article about John lehnihan above

DubOnHoliday

IMRA Leinster League finishes off this evening with a climb of the Sugar Loaf. Looks like a good day for it!