Quest Glendalough

OfflerCrocGod

They usually give you the shirt when registering so you can wear it during the race.

locha

I have an entry for the sport - my wave time is 9.00. If interested PM me.

Johnny_Fontane

picked up the jersey earlier. its a bit meh...not sure I will wear it on the day

Peterx

Wear what you are used to wearing.

Looking forward to it now, in a season opener don't know how the form is but sure and bejaysus we'll give it a lash kinda way.
Have done a good few runs up Kilmashogue Lane but not ar race pace and not in a race. Racing is just different.

I was over-thinking the water, essentially I will start the race well watered and have 2x750ml bottles on the bike to get me through all the bike stages and the first two runs. Another 2x750ml bottles sitting awaiting my return in transition, swallow one of those and bring the other one on the final run/kayak section, if needs be.

Bring a few dioraltytes lads. If this nice weather continues it will be a sweat fest.

micar

Picked up my race number and jersey earlier.....really looking forward to the race... Bring it on bitches!!!!!

Peterx

Too much analysis based on incomplete information but sure it's a discussion forum after all. Here's how long in time I think each stage will be of the overall time. For a lad ok at both running and cycling. Will report back afterwards with the reality

Stage Percentage of total time
6k Shay Elliott cycle 10%
6k Run 13%
13k Slieve Maan cycle 22%
5k Croghanmoira run 13%
18K Cycle 19%
6k run 14%
1k Kayak 5%
2k Run 4%
Percentage of total time
Cycling 51%
Running 44%
Kayaking 5%

BeBetter

PeterX you're fairly familiar with the bike routes I'd imagine? Is it constantly either climbing/descending or are there any flat/undulating stretches where you'd need to put the head down and drive??!!!

Peterx

BeBetter wrote: »

PeterX you're fairly familiar with the bike routes I'd imagine? Is it constantly either climbing/descending or are there any flat/undulating stretches where you'd need to put the head down and drive??!!!

It's mostly up or down or on twisty roads where you would need to keep your head up.
There are some easier climbing sections and shallow descending sections where you can get into a rhythm but it's usually on twisty roads so you neecd to keep the head up. The only flattish section on good surface is the Rathdrum to Laragh road near the end of the last cycle, about 4km worth. And that's not flat.
ie: not a race where tri-bar extensions are worth the hassle of having them.

BeBetter

Thanks for that Peter, I'll leave the bars off so. See you on the course!

fletch

Wow what a day we got for it...stunning race, beautiful scenery that really showed off Wicklow, superbly sign-posted, marshals were all super friendly and encouraging. 57k was a proper challenge...loved every minute of it....finish line was a bit bizarre but I can see why it was the way it was (as the bridge over to the Hotel is tight).
I'm trying to think of improvements I'd make but I can't. The walk back to the GAA club after is a little far but tbh, it is probably good to stretch out. Maybe a few more portaloos at the start wouldn't go amiss.
Saw a guy who's whole pedal crank fall off at Barnaslew (anyone on here?)...felt really sorry for him, as it was a long way from home.

micar

Did the 57km myself. Did not expect the difficulty.

Did westport sea2summit last year and that was a walk in the park compared to today's race.

The 2nd bike and 2nd run were the hardest.

Did not expect run from last bike transition to up the mountain.

Only gripe was a guy doing the sport race cycling without a helmet. When I came from behind him on a relatively flat section he cycling down the middle of the road with his hands off the handlebars..... And I'm just not talking a couple of metres to stretch out his back......he was being completely wreakless

Peterx

Great race, super sunny day, all good. The finish line was unexpected alright. 4 of us finished (very) close together and were walking in when we saw the huge proper finish gantry and we all started to look at each other in case the finish was actually at the gantry
The 6km run over to the kayaks gives the runners a chance after all that hard biking, beforehand I thought it really was a bikers race but now I think it's just mostly a bikers race. David Power certainly made the most of the last 1.6km run!
Superbly signed and marshalled and actual proper hot food at the end. The sunshine really helps with supporters hanging around awaiting our finish.

fletch

micar wrote: »

Did the 57km myself. Did not expect the difficulty.

Did westport sea2summit last year and that was a walk in the park compared to today's race.

It certainly is one of the tougher races alright...only one (I've done) that I can think of that's harder was Quest Killarney in October

micar wrote: »

The 2nd bike and 2nd run were the hardest.

Agreed, the 2nd bike was torture...I had driven the route so knew what to expect going up Slieve Mann...but didn't really notice the next tough climb to TA2 in the car

micar wrote: »

Did not expect run from last bike transition to up the mountain.

I actually really enjoyed the last run...I had recce'd the runs a few weeks back so knew what to expect...I passed maybe 50 people on that stage (mostly people doing the Sport) so it was a nice morale booster.

Peterx wrote:

we saw the huge proper finish gantry and we all started to look at each other in case the finish was actually at the gantry

I asked the marshal at the finish whether it was definitely the finish and she assured me it was so I started walking to the hotel...then I saw the finish gantry and thought maybe she was wrong so made a last pointless dash

Any link to the results?

micar

fletch wrote: »

Any link to the results?

They'll be on www.redtagtiming.com but nothing there yet.

AdpRo

Peterx wrote: »

Great race, super sunny day, all good. The finish line was unexpected alright. 4 of us finished (very) close together and were walking in when we saw the huge proper finish gantry and we all started to look at each other in case the finish was actually at the gantry
The 6km run over to the kayaks gives the runners a chance after all that hard biking, beforehand I thought it really was a bikers race but now I think it's just mostly a bikers race. David Power certainly made the most of the last 1.6km run!
Superbly signed and marshalled and actual proper hot food at the end. The sunshine really helps with supporters hanging around awaiting our finish.

Was that you he was chasing down and almost caught? One of my mates saw it and said it was very close in the end! Well done for holding him off and getting 3rd if it was you!

Done the 41k, found it hard but enjoyable, the weather made it, wouldn't have fancied coming down off Shay Elliot on wet roads! A special word of thanks to all the marshals today, they were excellent throughout.

JayCee001

Great event and great weather today. Delighted to have a well organised race close to Dublin again so kudos to the Quest team. Did the 57K and it was tough but the finish was a pleasant sudden surprise (still didn't manage to squeak under the 4 hr mark).

Tough hilly course but the distance made it manageable. I'd actually say Skibereeen is a tougher course due to a couple of steeper climbs but it all depends on the weather really. And we were blessed in that department today.

micar

micar wrote: »

They'll be on www.redtagtiming.com but nothing there yet.

Results are up.

Johnny_Fontane

Thanks for the advice on here. Thoroughly enjoyed the day. For my first event of this type (57k), I thought it was tough but fair. My bottom gear was not working great on my bike which was a bit of a disaster and I'm a fairly bad cyclist so struggled. But in all delighted to finish in the top 30 in my wave (2) and first in my office (far more important).

The question is, what next?

fletch

Did up a quick excel spreadsheet (below) of the 57k results with rankings for each stage...competitors missing a dibbing station or their dibber not working puts the figures out slightly but it gives a good indication of your strength's/weaknesses....my weakness definitely being the bike!

Johnny_Fontane wrote:

The question is, what next?

Check out the msai site for other adventure races

Peterx

fletch wrote: »

Did up a quick excel spreadsheet (below) of the 57k results with rankings for each stage...competitors missing a dibbing station or their dibber not working puts the figures out slightly but it gives a good indication of your strength's/weaknesses....my weakness definitely being the bike!

Check out the msai site for other adventure races

That's interesting alright. Is there an excel magic filter that can either ignore or remove the zeros?

I did something kind of similar - but just with the first 6 finishers - took the average time and divided the competitors time into it. Brendan Buck is quite the cyclist.

Peterx

Peterx wrote: »

Percentage of total time
Cycling 51%
Running 44%
Kayaking 5%

My Actual Percentage of total time
Cycling 47.7%
Running 47.4%
Kayaking 5%

Dessie was
Cycling 48.9%
Running 46.4%
Kayaking 5%

So more evenly based in time than I would have expected.

fletch

Peterx wrote: »

That's interesting alright. Is there an excel magic filter that can either ignore or remove the zeros?

I could ignore the zeros but that will still upset the figures too as the failed dibbed stages are combined into the next successfully dibbed stage.

peter kern

fletch wrote: »

Did up a quick excel spreadsheet (below) of the 57k results with rankings for each stage...competitors missing a dibbing station or their dibber not working puts the figures out slightly but it gives a good indication of your strength's/weaknesses....my weakness definitely being the bike!

Check out the msai site for other adventure races

saw a good bit of the race while doing my long run ( very well marshelled i have to say )
2 questions where actually was the finishe line ;-) the one they took the time or the gantry .

what i noticed , unlike in triathlon and especially duathlon, was what seemed to be a very high female participation rate my guess approx 35% females would that be correct ?

Ath trasna

peter kern wrote: »

saw a good bit of the race while doing my long run ( very well marshelled i have to say )
2 questions where actually was the finishe line ;-) the one they took the time or the gantry .

what i noticed , unlike in triathlon and especially duathlon, was what seemed to be a very high female participation rate my guess approx 35% females would that be correct ?

The actual finishing line (timing wise ) was where they took the time, the gantry finish was just for the pictures. Personally I didn't feel that it was a good system, bit of an anti climax really.


As for the female participation, the numbers of males/females that completed the race are below.

Male Female
Expert- 274- 47
Sport- 363- 148
Mini- 76- 111