Training Log Archive: shotgunmcos

To be fit to hike/run up and down mountains, you need to hike/run up and down mountains! There is no substitute.

Doing the Maamturk Challenge was a great idea, I've wanted to do it for years.
Starting the Maamturk Challenge with no training done and hooking up with Mountain fit ultra running types (Neady, Lonan and John), was maybe not the best idea!

Still it beat an entire day of wondering in the mountains alone with map and compass. And while John is the more silent type, Lonan and Neady are chatty and make fun of any suffering.

My prep during the week was a couple of short rowing sessions, a 7km run and 2 hours hiking in the Silvermines more to reacquaint myself with map reading than anything else.

I sat crushed beside 2 lads on the bus, kitted to the nines and showing me tips on their GPS route planner thingy. They had each done this 7 times and thought I was ambitious heading out on my own with a paper map! The Bus driver decided to crank the heat up full blast on a windy road at 5am. The chatty lads must have thought me very rude in the last 10 minutes. Truth was I had vomited and in the situation held it in my mouth, cheeks bulging for those 10 minutes nodding along to their chatter. It seems to take an age for everyone ahead of me to get off the bus. When I got off I promptly puked on the ground right beside the volunteers feet. He was checking people off the bus and got quite the surprise. Obviously asked if I was ok to do the Challenge. I think I mumbled something about sour hostel milk and stuffy hot bus. An auspicious start!

Next up was about 40 minutes of standing around waiting to register and get a route card to be stamped at each checkpoint. Meanwhile 150-200 runners/walkers had started meandering up the first climb Corcóg. As dawn tried in vain to peel away the clouds Neady and the lads rocked up smiling. They looked fit!

The Challenge is effectively up and down a rough (literally and figuratively) 5 climbs and 8 Checkpoints. 5 Peaks, a col and 2 lakes and just shy of 2,400m ascent. (I clocked 2,360m). The guys set a good pace and it was lunacy on my part really to go with them but it was challenging to take a map bearing on the move. I ignored the fact that Lonan was using GPS as all the runners seemed to do. By the time we got the first cloudy section done and hit the Lake by the Western Way, we had effectively passed all but 10 ahead of us. I was really in 2 minds to either break off and meander at my own unfit walking pace or press up the steep climbs and trot along the very uneven rocky boggy ridges. By the time we were well over half way heading up the start of Letterbreckaun in a fog I gave up the ghost. We were nearly 4 hours in and my quads had been cramping for an hour. The only thing I could do to not hurt myself was to stubbornly stop and stretch out while Neady and the lads disappeared up the mountain in the fog.

I became a little disorientated when I looked up after stretching a few minutes to see the fog had engulfed everything. It was moving quickly though so I knew there would be a break in it. Sure enough the spur at the end of Letterbreckaun appeared beneath the fog down a cliff to my left and I found exactly where I was on the map. From there it was easy to get the spot height and drop down to a more sheltered (less windy) corner to a couple of friendly volunteers in a tent who stamped my card.

Happily that fog was the last cloud to pass over the Maamturks for the day. As I trekked on my merry way, alone down a steep Maamturk More and back up another steep climb to the next tent the views of the whole of Connemara emerged and it was simply brilliant to be up on the hills. I was passed by a couple of lads running but that was it. I had to take ascent very slowly as my quads cramped viscously if I pushed to hard. The marshall at the Col of despondency were brilliant. We did some yoga (which they figured would help cramping quads) and laughed heartily. They told me I was the first Hiker as the rest that had passed had been runners. That was mainly down to hanging onto Lonan and Neady's coat tails for the first half.

It took over 7.5 hours to finish but I was delighted to get through it. There was nobody but volunteers at the finish and they handed me a cert and a pink rice krispie ball. Nom Nom.

No sign of Neady and the boys and the runners who legged it across the peaks like mountain goats had since departed. Just me and the soup, which I passed up in favor of a burger and chips. Non Nom. The Volunteer, who's hairy student face I recognized from the Large NUIG Mountain Club banner at the finish told me I was top 10 in (despite this not being a race!). Obviously some of the runners ahead of me were not registered.

Since there was nobody around I hopped in my car and drove home. I have to hand it to the NUIG Mountain Climbing Club and the volunteers. This was a really great event and I understand why people come back year after year. Not I. I loved it but its done now.

My quads are in bits still after the guts of 3 hours cramping. Besides the DOMS I feel I disrespected the event a little by not training for it. Lonan and Neady were clearly out training and I slowed them down tagging along and Caz rightly gave out to me for complaining about being unfit rather than just enjoying the opportunity I had to spend a day out in the mountains. She was right. As always. That is strictly the last event I do unfit.

C • Well done 1