Taking in the stunning view from the chapel for a split second – Bruce Duncan – Sense the Adventure

Bruce Duncan – 4th Place overall

Bruce Duncan - Sense the Adventure

The Atlantic Coast of Ireland.

Stunning Croagh Patrick mountain, with the glorious Clew Bay full of amazing islands right in front of the town.

The sunset was fantastic over the bay.

The forecast for Saturday was to improve.

The cloud lifted to show the full peak, a striking cone of loose rock at the top.

After a pasta feed, getting my kit sorted I set my alarm

We drove to the start at Glassilaun Beach.

Gaelforce Start - Sense the Adventure

Finally standing on the beach, eyeing up all the opposition

As the gun went, people took off at a heck of a pace,

After a tough hour of running we arrived at the kayaks

I had pulled up to 5th after entering the water in about 20th place.

The run to the road was perfect for me, baby heads and boggy ground

Entered the bike transition in 5th place.

A super fast transition enabled me to get out with Tom O’Dowd in first place.

Bruce Duncan

I stuck to his wheel

The cycle started well, till the first hill.

I was dropped straight away, and couldn’t get back to either of them after the tight tricky descent.

I gave it everything and got onto their wheel, and again worked with them to catch the 2 leaders.

I was dropped again on the fire road climb, but kept in touch as best I could before we hit the mountain.

The top section of Croagh Patrick is really steep and loose, and I didn’t enjoy it much.

Pushing on as fast as I could, knowing that there was still a chance to get into the top 3.

Taking in the stunning view from the chapel for a split second I turned and ran as fast and in as much control as I could on a technical loose descent.

I had no idea of the best line down, so I just ran back the way I came up, following the line of folks coming up the hill.

Concentrating on my line and staying on my feet, but kept going as fast as possible.

I knew I had to get to the bottom very close to them to have any chance of making the top 3.

I ran the really rough section, mainly to not puncture,

but also as my thumb was very sore when holding tightly on the bumpy ground.

The tarmac road was pretty rough too, with tight corners and gravel to keep you focused at the end of a very tough race.

Sense the Adventure - Gaelforce West 2011

The last section was lovely, passing by the clear sea water, and finally seeing the finish line.

It was tough passing right by the line, especially as Peter was just coming in to cross it as I went past!

The last run was tough, tired legs on rocky ground is always fun, but I took it easy and was very happy to cross the line in 4th place, only 5 minutes behind the winner.

It had been a fantastic race.

Very fast and full on, but great to be so close, and the lead chopping and changing all the way to the finish.

 I was incredibly happy with how I had got on, if someone had offered me 4th place on the start line I’d have more than happily taken it.

It was nice to see that I could battle right up at the front, but not surprising that I couldn’t quite topple the top 3, all very experienced in this race, and the shorter distance.

For me, it really was a bit of a sprint race, I’d have liked it to be 4 days longer!!

Gaelforce West 2011 - Sense the Adventure

I have had a brilliant weekend over in Westport with Gaelforce West as my hosts.  It is a stunning location for a multisport race, very dramatic and rugged.  The town really does embrace the sport, which is so great to see.

The event was brilliantly run, all the transitions were really smooth and slick, and the course was signed very clearly.

Bruce Duncan - Mary Young - Gaelforce West 2011 Sense the Adventure - Photo Tony St Ledger

A fantastic effort from the team to put on a race that not only really tests the elite, but is achievable by all the competitors.

A huge thank you to Ciara and all the team at Gaelforce Events for inviting me over for the weekend.  I loved the race and the fantastic hospitality, it was great to meet a bunch of new people, and hopefully I’ll be back over to Ireland soon to enjoy some more of the fantastic events on offer.

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Gaelforce West 2011 Sense the Adventure

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All the latest film and news updates on Gaelforce Events are here

Thanks to all the Gaelforce Athletes.

Special thanks to

Killary Adventure Centre, Mary Walsh, Chartered Physiotherapists In Sports,

Ronan Redmond, Mayo Mountain Rescue, An Garda Síochána, Civil Defence and all the volunteers,

Garry Cahill for high speed cameras and the people of Westport.

Gaelforce West is in the bag – Gareth Presch is Sensing the Adventure.

Sense the Adventure - Subscribe NOW

So, firstly I have to congratulate all the people who took part in Gaelforce West at the weekend and hats off to Peter O’Farrell and Emma Donlon who won the race with a very impressive performances.

Racer 240 with Ronan Hartnett (4hrs 22mins and first over the line for the foundation - and it was on a MTB), Alan McGovern, James Sixter, Enda Grogan, Gareth Presch and Emmett Grogan

Especially those who took part on behalf of the Tania McCabe Foundation (over 100 competitors), some of which had never done an adventure race before. Well done to all.

Beach Start Sense the Adventure - Gaelforce

With an early start on Saturday it was a welcome relief for everyone leaving Westport for the beach in Carrickduff that the rain was holding off! I was starting at 7am so the pick up was 5.30am.  On the bus you could get a sense of anticipation building, plenty of positive energy around but also the nervous energy was to be seen. Once we got off the bus we had a short walk down to the beach. Like everyone I was asking myself have I done enough training to get around the course? What will the conditions be on the course? Will I make it around without getting the dreaded puncture?

About 400 metres from the beach we waited for the elites to come by at 6.30am. They where off 30 mins before our wave and when I seen them coming up the road I  could see why they are the elites. Once they passed we began making our was down to the beach. I felt good. The girls at physiofusion  ( www.physiofusion.ie ) had got my legs feeling great and I had done quite a bit of training over the last 2 weeks. We get down to the beach and make our way to the start line. I’m again going to be tipping around the course with my mate Alan.

The air horn goes off and we’re away, the first 10 minutes of the course is a climb and we struggle to get our second wind. I pop an energy gel at this stage to give me a kick. Once we break the hill we begin moving swiftly down the hill and in towards Killary little bay before we’re hit with another climb up towards Killary Bay. We get around the bend and we begin to make good ground towards the kayak section. The conditions underfoot are tricky on this section and I loose one of my runners while running through a bog! Runner back on and we get going again. After about 9km I see the kayak section but I know it’s still another 20 minutes or so away. At this point I take a gel on. We get off the trail and back onto the main road and begin moving towards Killary adventure centre, before moving back off-road and back onto a bog trail. It’s all downhill now to the kayak, so we push on.

Kayaks - Sense the Adventure Gaelforce West 2011

We get to the kayak section and have a quick drink and set off on our kayak. Alan jumps in the front and I’m in the back. We get a migthy push from behind and next minute we’re underwater! We’ve toppled over in the kayak. The water is very cold and as I pick myself out of the water and back onto the kayak I don’t want to experience that again! The kayak section goes slow enough as every stroke we take to the left seems to leave the kayak unstable, so we nurse our way across the bay. Off the kayak, and we start up the bog and onto the road for delphi, I’m looking forward to the bike at this stage.

We grab our bikes and change shoes for the bike leg to Croagh Patrick. We’re under the 2 hour mark at this stage so we’re on target for a sub 5 hour mark time. We set off on the bike and soon begin our climb towards Tawnyard lough, the legs and body still feel good. We’re on the bike and get half way up climb with the lough on our right hand side. Alan gets a nasty cramp. I jump off the bike and get the tiger balm out of my bag. I rub the balm in and stretch out Alan’s calf. We soon get going again and reach the top of the climb. There’s a quick descent and we’re off toward Drummin. I get to Drummin and I look behind. I can’t see Alan! I stop and a wait and take on a gel and a drink. I begin to think that Alan may have had a puncture so start cycling back the way I’ve just come. To my relief Alan comes around the corner. He had another cramp. I quickly turn around and we push on towards Liscarney. Once we get to the main Westport to Galway road we can see Croagh Patrick in the distance to the left.

Gaelforce West 2011- Sense the Adventure

We soon turn off the main road and start moving up the road towards Croagh Patrick. The road soon turns to trail and I’m praying all the way to the bottom of Croagh Patrick that we don’t get a puncture. Luckily we don’t, and we arrive safe and sound at the base of Croagh Patrick. We’re just over 3 and half hours in, and I realise we will struggle to get under 5 hours. Croagh Patrick is a tough climb and we start by taking a gel and some energy drink at the base. We move up the right hand side of the Mountain and follow the trail. Once we get up onto the first ridge, the climbs turns into a real battle of attrition. We keep pushing on. We’re two thirds of the way up and I see two lads in their bare feet!!! I can’t believe my eyes to be honest. I get over the shock of that and move on towards the summit. Alan asks me if we’re near the top at this stage, and we are, to his relief. We get to the summit and I have a quick look around and the view is spectacular. Alan needs water so I ask the cameraman on the summit if he has any fluid. The generous cameraman helps us out and Alan gets a drink, and we begin moving down the mountain. We’re making great time down the hill but have to be careful as the conditions underfoot are tricky. Once down near the first ridge we go right and go straight down the mountain. Saves us a few minutes at least.

Sense the Adventure - Gaelforce West 2011 Downhill Cycle

Once we get to the bikes I know we’re on the home stretch. I still feel good but I know that ahead of us we have a tricky cycle into Westport and I’m still praying that we don’t get a puncture. We set off from the base of Croagh Patrick and it’s not long before we’re back off the road and onto the trail. We get a few kms into the trail and we begin moving downhill. It’s at this point that we get off our racers and walk down the trail, it’s just too rough for our racers. The trail soon runs into tarmac and we’re back on the bikes. The pace picks up and we then come out on the main road into Westport. We’re nearly there, one last push and that’s another one in the bag, I think to myself. We soon arrive into the finish area and drop our bikes off. There’s a run of about 800 metres ahead of us. We can soon see the finish line after coming around the final bend.

Alan McGovern and Gareth Presch complete Gaelforce West 2011 for The Tania McCabe Foundation

We’ve done it….and we cross the line together. That’s the Connemara Adventure Challenge, Gaelforce North and now Gaelforce West in the bag, one more left in November to complete our task of doing all four Gaelforce events in 2011. It’s been a great adventure.  The training over the last few months really did pay off.

After crossing the line we see Tony St Ledger (Gaelforce – Sense the Adventure ) at the finish line. We get a quick photo and a short interview for the website with him that will be availble on http://sensetheadventure.wordpress.com/ and the Gaelforce website in the coming days. I’ll also be working with Tony to upload some of the footage I took while we were out on the course, so keep an eye out for that in the coming days.

Alan McGovern and Gareth Presch with John Shortt Powerbar Ireland - Gaelforce West is in the bag

That’s Gaelforce West 2011! Again, thanks to all who competed in the event on behalf of the Tania McCabe Foundation (http://taniamccabefoundation.com/) and to everyone who has supported theFoundation, it is very much appreciated. I’d also like thank the guys at Cycleways (www.cycleways.com ) for all their help with getting my bike sorted for the race.

Turf Guy - Sense the Adventure

Keep up the training and keep on sensing the adventure.  The focus moves on to Turf Guy 2011 in November! Might do the Dublin Marathaon as a warm up!!!

Yours in training,

Gareth Presch

Subscribe to http://sensetheadventure.wordpress.com

Gaelforce West 2011 – Sense the Adventure a look at the winners.

Gaelforce West 2011 Result - Padraig Marrey 3rd - Peter O Farrell 1st and Tom O Dowd 2nd at the finishline at Gaelforce West 2011 - photo Tony St Ledger

Gaelforce West 2011 Result - Emma Donlon 1st - Mary Mulchrone 2nd - Ann Marie Egan 3rd - Gaelforce West 2011 - photo Tony St Ledger

Gaelforce West 2011 – Sense the Adventure.

Congratulations to all the participants in Gaelforce West 2011, a super race on a super day. Close to 3,000 adventure athletes took part in the largest adventure race of it’s kind in the world!

Gaelforce West is a 70km trail run, kayak and road bike race.

Peter O Farrell took 1st place for the men, followed by Tom O Dowd in 2nd, and last years winner Padraig Marrey came home 3rd. Padraig said, “I have  gone to the well too many times this year”, referring to being one of the eleven mountaineering enthusiasts who achieved a world-record on Croagh Patrick in July . Top UK Adventure Racer Bruce Duncan put in a great race and finished 4th in what he described as “an outstanding course”.

Emma Donlon came home 1st for the women, followed by Mary Mulchrone 2nd, and  Ann Marie Egan taking the 3rd spot . All eyes now turn to Turf Guy on November 5th for the next Gaelforce Challenge.

Catch up on the latest films and interviews with the winners on You Tube and subscribe to GaelforceTV 

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The Final countdown to Gaelforce West 2011

So, we’re 2 and ½ weeks out from Gaelforce West 2011…..

The wait is finally over. Three to four more hard training sessions and it will be time to rest up and get the gear and bike in order for the adventure race of the year.

So, let’s look at what training you should do between now and race day.

 

Sense the Adventure - Gaelforce Start

I’ll break it down nice and simple – 2 long runs (Preferably with some hills) around the 90-120 minute mark and 2 long cycles (35km on the bike you will use). No harm also doing some short speed work of, say, two 30 minute tempo runs.

That’s my plan!!! I’ll try get a long run in this weekend and next, along with the long cycle midweek, and finishing off on Wednesday week with a long cycle. The key after the hard work is done is rest and recovery. Eat right and stay hydrated. A sports massage will help the legs recover and the experts are PhysioFusion (www.physiofusion.ie). Audrey and the girls are great at getting the legs fully recovered so you’re in top condition for the event.

 

Sense the Adventure - What bike to use at Gaelforce West?

So what bike to use?

I’m going to go with my road bike this year. Last year I used my mountain bike (MTB)/Hybrid. There are parts of the course that are off road and a mountain bike does come in handy. However there is only one part on the course that I feel you will definitely need a mountain bike, and that is after Croagh Patrick. It is only a short section where you will have to walk if you don’t have a mountain bike. Now, ideally the bike to have is a cyclocross bike. A few things to bear in mind when choosing a bike – firstly if you are going to use a racer, can you change a puncture, as there is a high chance you will get a puncture? Any doubts here and I would opt for the MTB. Secondly are you looking for agood time? If you’re not, then I would choose the MTB. You’re less likely to have problems on a MTB. Whichever option you decide on it’s important to get the bike serviced. I’ll be popping my racer into Cycleways for a quick service before the race.

 

Gaelforce - nutrition is an important part of the event

Nutrition for the day

I’ll be using a mixture of gels and drinks for the day. The important thing to note here is that Gaelforce is a long distance event and nutrition is an important part of the event. On average you will be burning above 500 calories per hour, your body can only absorb 500 calories per hour so you need to get the calories in. So how do we achieve this? Put in simple terms, it means an energy gel every 30 minutes or so. The average gel will carry around 250 calories. You add energy drink to the mix and you will have your 500 calories per hour needed to keep going to the finish. Remember to carb load the evening before (Pasta, pasta, pasta!!!!).

Sense the Adventure - Don’t wear any new gear on race day

 

Gear

Check the weather before you set off and always pack for the worst. I’ll be wearing my tri running shorts as they are quick drying and have padding for the bike. On top I’ll be wearing my under armour with a cycling top over it. I’ll have packed a rain jacket as is mandatory (Make sure you have your mandatory gear before leaving for the West) that I’ll have in my running back pack. Trail runners are a must in my opinion, you’re running off road for 80% of the course. Don’t wear any new gear on race day, unless it’s a race belt! Make sure you wear gear that you are comfortable running in. If you need any new gear, now is the time to get it and wear it before race day.

 

Sense the Adventure - Gaelforce a first time for everything.

First timers

Some key points

1. Give yourself plenty of time on the Friday to register, drop the bike off and settle into where you are staying. (It is a long drive to registration and then onto Westport, I got caught last year and it knocked me back as I didn’t get a decent sleep etc.)
2. Don’t get carried away at the start on the run. Break it down, if you feel good coming into Westport on the bike then you go for it! Remember it’s about finishing it. All the effort that you’ve put in will mean nothing if you don’t get around the course. Time is irrelevant unless you have a realistic chance of winning Gaelforce.
3. Don’t be worrying about the Kayak section. It’s 1km and will be over soon enough!
4. Enjoy the day. You’ve put a lot of effort into getting to the start line so go out and enjoy the day with your friends and family.

Do a Gaelforce and Raise funds for The Tania McCabe Foundation

 

Finally -

I’ll be competing with over 100 others in this years Gaelforce West on behalf of the Tania McCabe Foundation. This is the inaugarul event for the foundation and if you would like to sponsor the foundation please click on the attached link - http://www.mycharity.ie/event/gareth_preschs_event2011/ . The foundation has been established to mark the memory of Tania McCabe who passed away in March 2007 following the birth of twin boys.  One of those boys, Zach, also passed away.  The surviving twin Adam, was cared for in the Special Care Baby Unit at Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda and Unit 8, Holles Street Hospital, Dublin.  The care provided by these Hospitals has assisted Adam in growing up healthy and well. All money raised will go to these special care units.

 

I want to wish you all the very best in this years Gaelforce West and I’ll see you at the finish!!! J

 

And remember to sense the adventure and enjoy the day,

 

Gareth Presch - Sense the Adventure

Gareth Presch

August 2011

Countdown to Gaelforce West Begins

Gaelforce- Sense the Adventure - The Countdown

Entries are flying in for Gaelforce West over the last few weeks, and planning is in full swing. It looks set to be another great year of the event with many of Irelands top racers entered and one of the UK’s top adventure racers, Bruce Duncan, is coming over to do the event this year and shake up the top of the field! Remember we have sold out for this event for the last 3 years, so don’t be disappointed and get your entry in early!

Sense the Adventure – Top UK adventure racer to do Gaelforce West 2011

Sense the Adventure Bruce Duncan on route to Gaelforce West

Gaelforce West is the largest one day adventure race of its kind in the world. It is a multi-sport adventure race involving cycling, running, hiking and kayaking.

The course of approximately 67km stretches from the stunning Glassilaun beach to Westport. En route there are some significant obstacles to cross, including Killary Harbour and the famous holy mountain of Croagh Patrick.

This is not a triathlon, a marathon or a fun run it is an adventure race!

It will test you both physically and mentally but the elation you will feel at the end when you cross the finish line will make it all worth it! Please read everything carefully so there are no surprises on the day.

This is is the largest one day adventure race of its kind in the world.

View Bruce Duncan Film http://www.youtube.com/user/Gaelforce4Adventure

Go to http://www.gaelforceevents.com/west/

Gaelforce West – Sense the Adventure. The Gareth Presch Rough Guide to GFW 2011.

Gaelforce West - Sense the Adventure

So we’re just over 8 weeks away from Gaelforce West 2011.Lets look back 12 months ago and see what I’ve learned from last years event to ensure that we don’t make the same mistakes.

Training
12 months ago I wasn’t really doing enough to be honest. I decided last year that I would take a few months off during the summer, so preparation for Gaelforce West at 8 weeks out hadn’t even started for me! So the lesson I learned was to start training early. Gaelforce West is a real physical challenge. This year my training for Gaelforce West started with the Connemara Adventure Challenge in March. I followed that up with the Kildare Half Marathon, Dublin Adventure Race, Gaelforce North, WAR and some training runs. I’ve also been cycling in an out of work 3/4 times a week with one trip to RAW gym per week. As a result I’ve lost a few pounds and I’m beginning to feel the benefits of getting my basic stamina levels up. If like me and you’re in the position I was in last year don’t despair. Just sit down and work out a training schedule for the next 8 weeks.

Nutrition
Training and Nutrition go hand in hand. They say it’s around 70% food and 30% training. So what you put into your body really does count. Treat yourself like an expensive sports car. You wouldn’t put Diesel into a Bugatti would you? If your diet isn’t great, try to do the basics right. Eat breakfast and drink at least 6-8 cups of water a day. Stay away from the takeaways (But don’t cut them out completely – I love a takeaway, even go for a healthy option from Kanum Thai www.kanum.ie ). People generally know what’s good food and what isn’t. If your shopping, stay away from the frozen Isle. If you need to wash your food before you cook it, then your on the right track.

Gaelforce Bikes -

Bike Choice
Now last year I completed Gaelforce West on a Mountain Bike. It is a lot slower, there’s no doubt about that. This year I will be on a racer for sure. Reason being is that the majority of the course is on Road. However, if you want to get around the course without a puncture then it may be wise to go with a mountain bike or a hybrid. There is a good 6km before you get to Croagh Patrick that is off road. Also the decent after Croke Patrick is completely off road for around 2/3km, and not really suitable for road bikes. It’s really your own choice. It’s just the risk you run with choosing a road bike. A puncture is a possibility.Gear to wear
I actually got the gear part of last year right in my opinion. Definitely go with trail runners. The run is about 70% off road so a good pair of trail runners are essential. A pair of tri-shorts is what I recommend. They’re comfy and also dry quickly if they get wet and of course they have padding for the bike section. On top, a good under armour with a cycling top is what I’ll be wearing. You can carry food/gels in the pockets of the cycling jersey. Finally you’ll need a camelback. Last year my camelback was way to small and during the run section it actually broke on me which was a disaster. This year I’ve invested in a decent one that fits comfortably on my back when running. Your mandatory kit will fit into your camelback.

My advice for gear/bike and a service is to head into Cycleways on Parnell Street. They know exactly what they’re talking about and always look after me well. www.cycleways.com

Gaelforce West - The Beach Start in 2010

Course 

Last year the event started on the beach. Very nice I hear you say! That’s what I thought. But once the horn blows and you set off , your faced with a nasty hill climb. It’s about a 10minute pull before you head down hill at speed. You hit the bottom and bang it’s up hill again. Half way up you head off road and begin your route in around Killary Bay. I remember coming around the corner of Killary Bay with the Sun on my back and the view was just spectacular. I mean breathtaking. Make sure to take it all in. Anyway back to run. This part of the run last year was very wet underfoot. There’s a few tricky sections so watch your footing. After about 50 minutes or so you will come back onto the road section. There’s another pull on the way up before a decline down towards the Kayak section.

Gaelforce - Sense the Adventure Kayaks

The Kayak section is enjoyable. I took some time last year before getting on board ot take in some gels and drink. I’ll be doing the same this year. Once you get off the Kayak there’s about 600 metres of a bog climb before you hit the road. It was wet and sticky last year so I’d expect the same this year. Off the bog and back onto the road for about 4km. Again last year when I got into transition I took my time and took on some water etc. This year I’ll be better prepared as I’ll leave my energy drinks beside the bike and just pop them in my camelback.

Gaelforce - Sense the Adventure - The Cycle

So onto the bike section. It starts off on a nice flat road for a few Km’s before you hit a steep incline that lasts for at 4 km. This was a real test on the MTB, I still remember the climb from last year! Once you get over the climb there’s a nice decent. Just be careful on this as the road is narrow and there’s a very sharp turn at the end of the hill that goes over a bridge. Go wrong there and you’ll be in trouble. The rest of the route to Croagh Patrick isn’t to bad. About 6 km or so from Croagh Patrick you’ll take a left and head up a lane way. It’s a steady incline and soon you’re off road. This is the section that is definitely not racer territory. I remember seeing a lad who had passed me on his racer on the road section with not one, but two punctures. Once you get to Croagh Patrick it’s now when the tiredness begins to set in. Your judgement fails you. I remember last year standing at the bottom and looking up at the summit. I could see everyone was following the trail to the right, I remember saying to myself that’s the long way up. Sure I’ll just go straight up! Big mistake. I’ll definitely be going up the right side and following the trail. I can safely say if you make the mistake I did last year you can add another 25 minutes onto your time. It’s just to steep to climb. Coming down is a different story. Again strangely I came down the route I should have come up. I know this just doesn’t make sense! But I won’t make the same mistake this year. Up on the right and just come straight down. The option of coming straight down is a faster decent but it is also a risky option. If your not comfortable running down a hill at speed I’d go with the marked route. Once you get down your back on your bike for about a km before you again head left up a narrow off road path. This off road section lasts about 3km. There is one section at this point that if your on a racer you will probably have to get off the bike and walk. It’s basically a mountain bike off road section that’s completely downhill, and attempting it on a road bike seriously increasing the chance of you getting a puncture. My advice would be to get off the bike and walk it. It’s about 400 metres. You’ll see what I mean! Last year on the MTB I just flew down it, but this year on the racer I’ll just walk down it. Once you get past this section it’s all road until Westport. I remember last year just thinking about cycling over the line at Westport. Wrong… to my horror when I got to Westport I had to dump the bike and finish with an 800 metre run. Trust me it’s the last thing I wanted to do after 5 hours was a short run. But this year I know what to expect so I’ll have something left in the tank for the last run. Once you get the short run out of the way it’s over the line to a well deserved cup of hot soup. I remember being totally shattered last year and that was down to a few errors I made. Firstly, the night before I didn’t get down in enough time. Leave yourself plenty of time to get down and register etc. We didn’t get to Westport until after 10 pm. We hadn’t eaten, and by the time we got to bed it was near 1am and with and early start of 5am. It wasn’t good prep. Secondly, bike choice, I should have done it on a racer. Finally, Croagh Patrick, I should have stuck to the route on the way up and come straight down.Finally what I intend doing this year is to be in a position to really enjoy the course. If I can get myself fit and ready and get the preparation right then it will be an event to remember. Not saying last year wasn’t. But I certainly didn’t do myself any favours!

Gaelforce West - Sense the Adventure Challenge for the Tania McCabe Foundation

I hope you find the information above of interest. This year I hope to complete the Gaelforce West Challenge for the Tania McCabe Foundation - http://taniamccabefoundation.com/

 if you would like to sponsor the foundation or wish to Sense the Adventure on the Gaelforce West challenge just pop me an email at garethpresch@hotmail.com

Yours in Sport,

Gareth Presch

Gareth Presch
June 2011

Join them – Do a Gaelforce and raise funds for The Tania McCabe Foundation

Join them – Do a Gaelforce and raise funds for The Tania McCabe Foundation.

Gaelforce West – August 20th 2011

The Tania McCabe Foundation Anyone out there who would still like to compete in Gaelforce West for the Tania McCabe Foundation and have not yet registered, please send me a private message.

Or if you know any fit (athletic fit!) people who may be interested please share the info please! It will be a great weekend (for supporters also!) so join in in whatever way possible.

Fundraising details email garethpresch@hotmail.com

Gaelforce West – There are places that speak to our very soul – Top tips for Gaelforce West 2011 NEWS Subscribe and follow – Sense the Adventure.

Gaelforce West 2011- Do a Gaelforce