A Determined Start and a Disappointing Ending - 2016

Quest Adventure Racing

My first adventure race of 2016 was in Killarney. It was scheduled for the 12th March and still early into my new training regime. I headed down to Killarney on my own, for this race I would be flying completely solo, and checked into a hotel near the start line. At 06:30 the following morning I rolled my bike to the start line and with the blow of a whistle my year had started. It was cold, wet and windy, the only way the weather could've been more Irish was if a leprechaun shaped tumble weed rolled by. The first stage of the race was a 20k cycle, mostly on roads with a couple of kilometres of trail thrown in to keep it interesting. I struggled to settle into a rhythm on the bike. I seemed to be continuously both gaining and losing ground on the leading pack. By the time I reached the transition area I was hungry and annoyed. I dumped my bike on the ground, grabbed some fig rolls from my rucksack and began running. Running had been the main focus of my training and as I made my way along the trail I was happy with my pace. It didn’t last. As the trail started going up my energy levels went down. I trundled on, trying to keep focused and keep moving even if I had to walk. It seemed the lacklustre 2015 was seeping into 2016. I made it back to transition and cycled to the finish line, but it was painful and miserable. My year could only get better from here.

The next race on the cards was Quest Glendalough, a new race but a local one. I drove there on the morning of the race and was looking forward to cycling around Ireland’s garden (Wicklow). I had signed up for the expert race which was the longest one. I assumed my GFW experience would be enough to get me through, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The race starts by cycling up a mountain and then follows that by running up a mountain, cycling up another mountain, running up that mountain, cycling back to the start and then running around some more hills. Followed by a quick kayak and a trot over the finish line. There are downhills but you can’t enjoy them. They are simply points where the suffering eases and I suffered alot. All of it, every single kilometre I suffered. I was training but not making progress.

May 2016

After Glendalough I decided what I needed was more hill running. If I was stronger in the hills I would be stronger overall. To do this I went to Ticknock, a small forest on the outskirts of Dublin. The forest contained a short 5km route that was straight up for 2.5km and straight back down again. Mostly trail it provided a perfect platform to focus my training. On my second visit to the forest, Karen dropped me off as she went to get a coffee. She would return to pick me up in an hour. Plenty of time to get two laps in. From the start I had a smile on my face. I was out in nature and I was running. I was happy. Bouncing up the trails, jumping over rocks and ravines, I felt fast and fresh. Reaching the summit for the first time I didn’t stop to take it in, I bounced on. Going faster now, I bounded over boulders without breaking my stride. More carless than carefree, I took my eye off the trail to look ahead. My foot landed on a small stone and rolled. My entire weight came down on my ankle, crunching and popping loudly, before I tumbled to the ground. I picked myself up and sat on a rock more concerned with who saw me than how my ankle was. A few walkers passed and checked to see if I was ok. I smiled and nodded and waited.

When enough time had passed, I got up and then sat straight back down. It hurt a lot. Then the rain started. I checked my phone, no reception. The only way I was getting down was by myself. I stood up and started limping. With the rain now heavy, the forest was quickly cleared of people. I was alone and I was limping. I had 2 kilometers to get down and every step was followed by a pause and a deep breath. After a kilometre I had phone coverage and called Karen. She was waiting at the bottom wondering where I was. When I told her of my predicament she quickly raced to my side. Together we made our way to the car and then on to the hospital. Lucky nothing was broken but I had done a lot of ligament damage. I left the hospital on crutches and they would remain by my side for the next 3 months. My year was effectively ended