Team Geared Up » endurance

Tango and Cash: Day 3 of the Ulster Way

Aisling Coppinger — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:27:18 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Adventure racing heroes (well they claim to win everything!!) Tango and Cash appear to be half way through their attack on the Ulster Way, a 600-mile long-distance loop route around Northern Ireland, linking the current way-marked ways together with minor-road link sections. It’s good to see they’ve had company en-route, seriously it must be incredibly tough (and on single speed mountain bikes??!).

Here’s a section from their account of day two:

We headed up into the Mournes in strong wind and heavy rain, and the going was slow and draining, much of it unrideable. Picked up the infamous Rowan McMahon in Tollymore, and staggered on as best we could in the terrible weather. Joni headed for home after the descent off Butter Mountain. The next section round Hen Mountain was appalling, totally unrideable and frankly depressing.

Make sure to drop over and leave messages of support, they seem to genuinely appreciate it! G’wan……..be nice! :-)

-Aisling-

Ten Irish Running in the 23rd Marathon des Sables 2008

Aisling Coppinger — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:00:26 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) It’s right up there with all the things you have to do before you die. It’s one of the classic stage races. It has all the ingredients of an incredible endurance event; the heat, the struggle, the dunes, the self sufficiency, the mangled feet and the torturously long stages. This year’s event kicked off over the weekend with a 13km opening stage. Sounds like a walk in the park for the leader Mohamad Ahansal who did it in 2 and a half hours!

A less pleasant surprise for Jordan Salameh El Aqraâ€™ who found the course harder than expected and also had to deal with tummy trouble. Today the Marathon des Sables was particularly worthy of its name: sand was on the menu, starter, main and pudding. And itâ€™s only the beginningâ€¦

It’s one of those classic events that every ultra runner seems to want to do. I’ll hopefully get my chance in 2010 as I’m on the waiting list. Hopefully the gear technology will have advanced so much by then that my bag and it’s contents will weigh next to nothing! ;-)

There are ten Irish competitors listed this year so best of luck to them!

-Aisling-

Qoute and images from Darbaroud.com.

Tango and Cash - 600 Miles to Go

Aisling Coppinger — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:44:39 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) 600 miles cycling around Ulster seems like a long way. But with no gears?? Well they’re doing it for charity so we’ll forgive their madness this time….

This year sees the re-launch of The Ulster Way, a 600-mile long-distance loop route around Northern Ireland, linking the current way-marked ways (75% of the route) together with minor-road link sections.

Tango & Cash are attempting to complete the entire route in six days, starting on Saturday 3 May 2008, all under our own steam, on foot and our single-speed mountain-bikes.

Maybe some of us will join you for a few miles….

-Aisling-

Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer at Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Aisling Coppinger — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:00:03 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) If you’re one of the few people left on this island who hasn’t seen this play then get out and see it. It’s brilliant. Aidan Dooley is absolutely incredible. He draws the crowd into the whole event in a way you’d never have thought possible before you set foot in the theatre. He’s just so convincingly real!

“Tom Crean Antarctic Explorer” tells the story of the Irish explorer who served with Scott and Shackleton on three expeditions; Discovery, Terra Nova and Endurance. Aidan Dooley manages to drag you right into the centre of things and give you a sense of the hardship involved. If you miss it you’ll regret it, really, it’s brilliant! One account of a sled ride down a glacier will never leave you……

Six nights only from 25th March!

-Aisling-

Irish Newspaper: IRON MEN, Sporting Challenges Beyond Endurance

Aisling Coppinger — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:12:22 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Even the Irish media are saying it, a standard`marathon just isn’t enough. Check out the Sunday Tribune Magazine today. On the cover is Irish Ironmen Fergus and Alan Ryan from Skerries whose brotherly competition brought them to the startline of the Klagenfurt Ironman in 2005, via a training diary! Read the article for the results, fascinating stuff.

According to Alan:

Initially, you’re going to do one for the experience just to chalk it up and say I’ve done an Ironman and that’s that. But it becomes a way of life, an addiction, but a good addiction

The article covers Mark Pollock, extreme marathon runner and all round superstar. Is there any multi day event that Mark has yet to conquer? You can also read about Antarctic Explorer Mary Casey whose next event is kayak down the Danube or husky-racing in Siberia.

Article by Olivia Smyth.

-Aisling-