the speed here is a lot different today! Its great, makes a big difference to being behind Peter O’Farrell.

Peter will be chuffed to hear that!

That photo is Team La Fuma.

According to Valerie, today’s session included cycling over Pedlar’s Coom, trekking over Brandon Mountain and Kayaking from Ventry to Dingle Harbour!

-Aisling-

Images are Valerie’s!

You have till midnight Monday to get the entries in…the clocks are ticking…. ;-) Thanks to Rowan McMahon for the reminder!

Prizes sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor Store.

-Aisling-

Image from Not the Sunday Run’s Picasa page of last year’s event.

What’s involved:

* Premarked maps (Scale 1:15,000) will be supplied giving a set number of control points to be visited in a prescribed order.
* Control points will be marked by highly visible orange and white “kites”
* At each control point the competitor will need to punch a control card that is fixed to their bike by cable tie at the start.
* Route choice between controls is up to competitor but must follow any of the marked tracks and paths – Hike a bike or dropping your bike not permitted or likely to be of advantage

Competition Format

* Winner is competitor with quickest time to visit and punch control card at all controls and return to the finish area.
* Missing any one control punch will result in disqualification.
* Long and Short Courses are available. The estimated winning times are 60 -70 mins and 45 -50 mins respectively
* The navigation and terrain will be suitable for anyone with basic mountain bike riding and navigation skills so beginners/those new to the sport welcome!

It’ll be a staggered start with the first competitors kicking off at 1pm, last start is 2 o’ clock. For information contact Paul Mahon Email: paul.mahon@ireland.com, Phone Number: 086-3503994. Leave a comment if you want more directions. I’m gonna give it a go myself, will hopefully see you there!

-Aisling-

-Aisling-

Most photos are from my flickr set here but the one of Berndt and team is from Bob’s Picasa set.

We picked up our map and headed down to TA3, then wondered where the other guys had gone to, as they would definitely have taken us easily on the run down - we assumed (correctly, as it turned out) that they had headed straight out to clear the map checkpoints instead of visiting TA3 first (where they would have learned to only collect 3 markers at a time), and this ultimately proved to be their downfall.

There’s a lesson in their account somewhere. Not only is it important to compliment someone on their nice buns but it’s also quite important to read the sodding instructions!!!!! I’m a bit disappointed with the lack of blazer action but they’re probably saving them for their 600 mile cycle on their single speeds.

Oh and well done on a great win! Second was Cuchulainn Warriors; Johnny McCabe and Gerry McCabe, and third was Team Purple; Edmund O’Hagan and Brendan O’Hagan.

-Aisling-

Name: Patrick Marshall
Have been involved with Adventure Racing for a number of years, however M.A.R.S is our first full AR team. My main sporting love in life is running which allows me to be fit to try anything else really. I’ve taken part in a number of shorter adventure races but this year will be first full expedition race and what better place to do it but on home turf. Currently doing lots of running and plenty of triathlon training.
Name: Margot Buchhorn
Has been involved with adventure all her life but only take the competetive plunge into adventure racing last year. Margot is not one to shine away from pain having complete numerous half Iron Mans and more recently a full Iron Man.
Name: Steven Cleary
A man never to turn down a challenge. It took him all of two minutes to commit to taking on a expedition length adventure race. Steven is an accomplished mountaineer and all round head case.
Name: Cornelius Marshall
All round very strong athlete. Has competed nationally and internationally on track,roads and mountains. A holiday for this man usually involves some ultra running, followed off with more ultra running.

Some photos from their training sessions here. They seem well prepared already with training sessions mapped out from here to June including shorter length adventure races like the one in Avon Ri (might see you there!). And they’re doing it all for charity. We’ll be watching their blog with interest… ;-)

-Aisling-

After confirming with Keith (NI’s own Montgomery Wick) that we were unlikely to be killed or maimed on the abseil even if we did something daft, we chucked ourselves over the edge with gay abandon and gambolled back to the bikes.

I can’t remember anything else from there until we reached the kayaks, apart from the wooden skis thing round the souterrain, which we HATE. “OK, 1, 2, 3. Left, right, … Try bigger steps. Wait, I am falling forward. You ready? What’s wrong? OK. Left, right, …”

Just got the results from Ivan and the winners were brothers Johnny and Gerry Mc Cabe with Kevin Murdoch and Cathal McGreevy in second and NTSR in 3rd, that’s Gerry Kingston and Billy Reed. (Tango and Cash were 5th, well done lads!)

There’s another report here from Wicklow Tri Club which gives hints and advice on what to wear/ carry/ do on such an occasion! and the Two Fat Ladies give a link to the full results also.

CCAR’s next event is a one day race on the 29th March. These events are well worth supporting, they’re organised by individuals and not companies and I’d imagine at a lot of personal cost to the people involved. They’re a little out of the ordinary and that what’s puts the “adventure” in Adventure Racing. If Ivan and co. keep it up they’ll have no trouble filling up every available space so get your entries in fast!

-Aisling-

Qoute and image from Tango and Cash’s blog. I’ve scoured that photo for any filthy references and can’t find any Rick……

Choose from two events; GF6, the classic one-day multi-sport challenge for solo participants or teams with biking, running, trekking and kayaking; or take part in GF12 – featuring GF6 on the Saturday and then continuing with a “second stage” team event on the Sunday involving ropes, boats and navigation.

It’s on August 23rd and 24th so there’s plenty of time to get some serious training in!

-Aisling-

Image from Gael Force West gallery.

The current calender has 7 events listed including youth races and 2 of those races include an option of a 2 day adventure race for the seriously hard folk out there! There’s still time to get some training in for the 2 day event in January.

From Ivan:

Competitors doing the 2 day race will do the same as those doing the 1 day race, followed by a night nav. section on Saturday evening. Then included in the entry fee they will get some sleep in hostel style accomadation before the start of the second day, which will see them visiting as many checkpoints on foot and bike inside a set time.

You could map out your adventure year like this:
26th January 1 day race
26th-27th January 2 day race
9th March Youth race 14-16 year olds
16th March Youth race 16-18 year olds
29th March 1 day race
2nd-5th May 36-40hrs non-stop Coast to Coast Relay
4th October 1 day race
4th-5th October 2 day race
29th November 1 day race

-Aisling-

Image Credit: Irish Adventure Challenge, from theOutsider Gallery.

Checkpoint 3 was an easy find round the road, and we barely stopped for it on the way to 4, which was on the railings beyond a VERY steep tarmac hill. Our main strategy guy Ian had brake issues at the 90 degree bend at the bottom of the straight, hit the bank HARD, left the bike, and took off head first into the brambles, just missing a tree - lucky, lucky chap - could have been killed, scuppering our chances of finishing!

But don’t crack open the champagne just yet Rick, because from what I could see, none of your team members had a set of ovaries (man boobs maybe but not ovaries ;-) ) so therefore it doesn’t count. But at least you fulfilled the goal of the hot shower! Big well done to Al, Ian, Phil and Rick! (Has nobody got any photos from this event?!)

-Aisling-

Photo from Tango and Cash blog.