Waterford Adventure Race
Waterford Adventure Race
Diarmuid Collins / 31.12.1969
The first leg was a 6km running section starting with a downhill road run from Melleray and on through the winding trails, hills and bridges of Glenshelane Woods. A sharp initial pace was set by the runners in the field to ensure a slight buffer zone for the following uphill bike leg to the Vee. Coming into the bike transition it was quick grab of the bike and a mouthful of energy jellies and up onto the road for the first bike section. Luckily it was a long easy climb uphill and wasn’t too much of a shock to the system early on in the race, the gradual incline made for a steady pace throughout the leg, up front the lead changed on this leg towards the start of the climb with a strong bike leg from Damian Travers eating up the lead I had made on the first run, me being more comfortable on two legs rather than two wheels.
Coming into the transition at the bottom of the Sugarloaf, where the support of the spectators and race officials was a much needed boost before tackling the steep climb, after a brief jog up the first 100m a quick walk was settled into. Damian Travers had a lead hitting the base of the hill but I managed to close the gap on the way up the hill. Once the checkpoint at the summit was reached it was a quick descent back for me due to a bit of mountain running experience which gave me a bit of a lead on the chasing pack behind.
Off the hill it was straight back onto the bike and road for an enjoyable 15km downhill all the way into Lismore to where the kayaks were waiting. A large diverse fleet of craft had been assembled the night before and the wide flowing Blackwater River easily accommodated the range of kayaks on their 6km paddle downstream. The kayaking leg in the Waterford Adventure Race was notable in that it was more substantial (around 6km) than other similar races in which the kayak section does not hold as much weight so to speak as the running or biking legs. This is a welcome development in Irish adventure racing as it will take both runners and bikers out of their comfort zone and give a more varied dynamic to races like this. The option too to bring personal kayaks had a definitive impact on the race notably in the top three positions. The River Blackwater was wide and forgiving, suitable for K1’s which propelled Gerard Conlan to a second place position which he held on to until the finish.
Out of the kayaks and the usual wobbly-legged run for the first few hundred metres until the dead legs started to get back used to motion. The heat was finally beginning to kick in on the long stretch of road back to the start of the kayak leg to recollect the bikes and point them in the direction home.
Back on the bikes again and all competitors were in for an extremely tough last bike section. The flat first few kilometres soon gave way to a tough climb which seemed to go on longer than was fair at this stage of the race! In the women’s race Diane Behan who had been leading up till then was caught by Deirdre Keane who held on for the win. Siobhan Dunphy was the third woman home.
Just to remind competitors that this race was not supposed to be in any way easy the last energy-sapping cramp-inducing climb to the finish line in Mount Melleray did precisely that, the grimacing faces and cramping legs were a clear indication of it. However the pain soon gave way to the satisfaction of crossing the finish line and being able to rest tired bodies. I managed to hold on to the lead in the subsequent legs following the gap I had built up on the mountain run descent and crossed the line in first position, a successful day.
Overall the race length was 62.40 km through some of the nicest scenery Waterford has to offer, the combination of scenery and a challenging but thoroughly enjoyable course makes it a definite race for next year. Congratulations to all who competed and a special word of thanks to the race co-ordinators, marshals and everyone who helped make it such an enjoyable and successful event.
SleepMonsters
