Moxie Adventure Challenge, Sense the Adventure, Fitheads – Are supporting Kops4kidz, Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Tania McCabe Foundation in May 26th 2012 – Enter now and €7.50 per entrant goes to the charity of your choice!

Moxie Adventure Challenge, Sense the Adventure, Fitheads - Are supporting Kops4kidz, Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Tania McCabe Foundation May 26th 2012

Moxie Adventure Challenge, Sense the Adventure, Fitheads – Are supporting Kops4kidz, Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Tania McCabe Foundation Blessington, Co Wicklow on May 26th 2012.

The Day in The Garden

Moxie Adventure Challenge - Enter now and €7.50 per entrant goes to the charity of your choice!

Enter now and €7.50 per entrant goes to the charity of your choice!

Join visiting International
Adventure Racers from UK, France, and South Africa…the Irish National
Adventure Team as they prepare for the World series… and 1,500 other Irish
adventurers for the challenge of the season.

The Moxie Adventure course design is a joint collaboration between Total Experience the Irish events management business run by adventure racers and specialist Moxie course consultantBruce Duncan Team adidas TERREX the elite International Adventure racer.

The course – 1.5K Kayak, 30K Cycle and 8K Hill Run. The challenge is
capped at 1,500 competitors for all to fully enjoy the adventure.

No long drives, and no costly overnights, the Moxie Adventure challenge is ONE day in the garden.

Gaelforce West 2011 Sense the Adventure

Gaelforce West 2011 Sense the Adventure – Now Live on You Tube – Subscribe to Gaelforce Sense the Adventure TV – NOW

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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 – 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