So the plan is to do a final days blog from each of the team
The Final Day from Chris
When we all agreed to undertake this challenge we talked about the Rotterdam marathon as a “just get it finished” kind of marathon and that any talk of finish times were of the how slow not how fast variety.
That’s how I felt it would be too.
When we finished the cycle to rotterdam (cold, wet, lost, anti climax) I wasn’t in the best of moods. I guess the tiredness was creeping up on me that day and my mood is usually the first thing to go. But it lit a fire under me that I had unfinished business with this marathon malarkey.
On the rest day I went for a run with john and was surprised by how willing my legs felt but I kept my cards close to my chest as I wasn’t going to allow myself to be publicly disappointed for a second time in a week with hopes of a so far elusive sub 3.30.
The morning of the mara was very relaxed for me we had breakfast and talked the talk of people starting down the barrel of a mara after the week that was. A short hop on the train to the city and the obligatory last round of photos were taken at the start and with time to spare the usual routines were completed by everyone.
The start was much more like the Dublin marathon in both size and atmosphere which was a welcome change from the madness of Paris. We all high fiver and Keith gave us one of his rousing speeches which I found to be quite effective I must admit. The last thing I think of was Keith saying “leave it all out there”. Gun blast and within 3 minutes even from our down the field starting place we were off.
John, myself and Keith stuck reasonably close together for the first couple of k then john and I drifted away from Keith as everyone’s personal battles took over. John and myself chatted away a bit and it was nice and relaxed but still a steady pace.
At about the 19k mark John encouraged me to go ahead as he was feeling it a bit. So we parted and off I went, fully expecting john to be on my shoulder the next time I looked back.
I pushed on. Going through the half in 1.46 I thought to myself that I felt fine so just keep doing what your doing and make no time goals yet.
Next marker for me was Cliodhna and Sharon at the 25k point and when I saw Cli and she handed me my drink I thought I was in the zone and going well. So again I just ran on still trying not to think of any time goals. Over the bridge I missed both juliene and john (sorry guys). Then when I got to the 30k marker and checked my watch I realised that I was after going from 2 minutes over the 3.30 pace to 2 minutes under.
A 4 minute swing in 11k I was fairly happy with myself but as we all know its the last 12k not the first 30 that make a marathon hard. It was then I thought of Keith’s leave it all out there comment and I decided that I might as well fail in a big way as not try. Basically I had to run 12k in one hour and 2 minutes 50 odd seconds and I would get my goal. I broke it down, 5k to meeting the guys again, which turned out to be 6 as when I got to the 35k mark they were not there (I was slightly ahead of expected time) and after going through thinking that’s I ok I can make it without the drink I heared Cliodhna shouting and fair play to her she was running up the road after me. So with drink in hand and the 36k point reached I set my new goal as the 40k mark, still on pace I got there and now I started playing the game of “you can’t walk from here”. I was trying to guess from which point I could walk and still make the time. The point is not that I wanted to walk but I was scared that I might have too. But soon I got to the 41k mark and I felt ok still and I knew I was inside the time so I talked to myself and thanked my wife Anne for supporting me all winter while I trained and I told myself that I deserve this for all those horrible cold snowy, rainy, windy nights I went running with the sub 3.30 as the prize.
How many nights had I pictured the sub 3.30 on the clock as I ran arms raised across the line. Cliodhna had always talked to me about it in work and we had both thought maybe in Paris it would happen and that I should visualise it, when that didn’t happen I was crushed inside.
So as I turned onto the finish straight and saw the line in the distance and the 600metre to go sign I raised my arms and shouted. I was going to make it, I could crawl it from here. All I remember from there is the wall of noise from the amazing crowd, the music was blaring and it felt brilliant. So I crossed the line in 3.27 and 15 seconds. A new pb the second mara pb in 7 days and at last a sub 3.30.
A really nice touch was that the medal is not just handed to you put placed around your neck with a very honest handshake and congratulations from the volunteer.
It was an awesome end to an epic adventure.
The negatives of letrip were so few that I won’t mention them. From start to finish the whole thing went as it should. From the 4 best lads and the 2 best crew to Anne
, Juliene and Sharon at the marathons it was a serious challenge both physically and logistically but where there is a will there is a way.
The come down after I got home was bad, I no longer had this challenge to kick me out the door training. But I do have these amazing memories and as the days go by I think about them and remember something that makes me smile. IT WAS EPIC!
The Final Day from John
I approached the final leg, the Rotterdam marathon, of our Trip, with a bizarre mixture of relaxation and fear. Relaxed because there was no more planning, no more routes to be decided, no more cycling and also because I bunch of my mates had come over from Dublin to run the Rotterdam leg. (One of them had never even run a 5km race before, never mind a marathon so I knew that no matter how much pain I was going to be in, he was going to be worse!!) But fear because I had no idea how my body would react to being asked to do another marathon, especially as this would be only my third marathon ever.
The evening before I decided to go for a jog with Chris just to see how the legs were feeling. Sample conversation after about 5 minutes of the jog:
Chris: So John, How are the legs feeling?
Me: About the same as they did about 35km into the Paris marathon.
This worried me as this is definitely not how you want to feel the day before a marathon!! On the other hand, Chris seemed remarkably fresh.
The big question we all had to decide was what pace to go at. I knew that realistically, I would be lucky to finish in 4 hrs, maybe even closer to 5hrs! As I stood on the start line with the 4 other lads, I still hadn’t made up my mind. Then, “you’ll never walk alone” belted out over the PA system, the adrenaline started to pump and I knew that I had to give it my best effort.
After a few km, myself and Chris were going along at a steady 3h30 pace and I was reasonably comfortable. But by about 18km, I knew I couldn’t hold that pace. Chris still seemed remarkably fresh and I told Chris to go on without me. (I could hardly believe it when I met him after that he had run a sub 3h30 and a PB. Absolutely unbelievable effort.)
After that I got slower and slower and the pain got worse and worse. I tried to talk to others on the course and that helped for a while, although I did meet on a number of occasions the most unfriendly Irish guy ever! But what really got me though was the support crew. They were there dotted all around the course. I knew where they would be so as I approached each point, I was looking forward to seeing them like a junkie awaits his dealer! The support and encouragement was magic and really helped us through. So to Cliodhna, John, Sharon, Juliene, Marie, Fiona and everyone else, a huge thank you.
I eventually scraped home in 3h39 although the effort in the last km to get under 3h40 nearly killed me. With 300m to go, the blood pressure dropped and I suddenly started seeing stars. I was thinking this would be the worst ever, after 2 marathons and nearly 600km on the bike, to fall within 300m of the finish line!!
So that was that. All over now and back to reality. My reflections on the whole Le Trip? It was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best trips I ever had. To Shane, Chris, Brian, Keith, Cliodhna and John, thank you so much. I have a world of wonderful memories to take with me to the grave.
In fact, I think I’m going to go write my will now and ask that “John has never been to Rotterdam” be inscribed on my gravestone!! (An internal Le Trip joke that I will never stop laughing at!)
Yes we had fights and arguments along the way, yes we could have done some things differently, yes I wish that we hadn’t been caught out by the oldest criminal trick in the book in Antwerp, but no I wouldn’t change a thing!
And most importantly, we have raised a massive about of money for sick children in Ireland and that will be the greatest memory of all. I would like to thank everyone who has been so generous with sponsoring us.
PS: I would also like to thank my wife who had to look after 2 young children on her own while I was away. Although the guilt trip started the minute I got back when she informed me that my new daughter was now 44 days old, and as I have been away for 11 days, I’ve missed a quarter of her life!!!
The Final Day from Brian
It’s hard to think (editors comment – ‘then don’t!’) that only 2 weeks ago we were running in the Rotterdam marathon and finishing our week long endurance challenge. I remember the day started out with me questioning Chris’ weather forecasting skills as I looked out of the bedroom window to be greeted by grey skies….”Don’t worry..the sun is due to come in a couple of hours” added Chris. As we stood in the starting pen a couple of hours later, the grey skies had cleared and something we hadn’t seen much of during the previous 4-5 months suddenly starting showing off in all its glory and we were ready to get going.
The race itself was a lot less congested than Paris which made running all the more enjoyable. A finishing time was something I tried to keep out of my mind as just finishing was the goal. The crowd was very encouraging which was great, especially in the last 10km and when I saw the sign on the road to signal the last 1km, there was a mixture of relief, excitement and pride. Seeing our support crew in those last few metres raised a smile and gave me that last little lift to finsh the race strongly. Even back at the hotel with the rest of the crew, I don’t think it had really sunk in what we had done. To be honest, I was just glad to have finished the Rotterdam marathon and was looking forward to putting my feet up for an hour or so and getting some rest….
A few days later, I was out with some friends having a few well earned drinks. I had taken both medals with me to proudly show off when after studying both for a few minutes, one friend said “Brian, that was phenomenal”. And then I think it finally actually hit me what we had actually done….we had run 2 marathons and cycled 500km in eight days. A couple of years ago, running one marathon in a year was something I thought was pretty cool. I won’t say it was easy but what I will say is that I will take some amazing memories from this trip…the delayed congested start to the Paris marathon, the rain soaked departure from Paris on the bikes, the close calls with lorries on the roads through northern France, the unsurfaced paths in Belgium, John working out which way was North and East, crossing the canals on foot whilst carrying the bikes and the games of chicken with the scooters on the cycle paths in Rotterdam.
My final words do have to go to the rest of the crew. Huge respect and congratulations to the other Le Trip lads….and a big Thank You to our support crew. As difficult Le Trip was to complete, it would have been near impossible without the help of Cliodhna and John. To have given up their free time to assist us is was and will be much appreciated. And not fogetting Anne, Sharon and Juliene for their support not only during Le Trip but also the months leading up to it during our training sessions.
The Final Day / Done’n’Dusted by Shane
Sunday 14th of April was a very sweet day. Generally on the morning of a marathon I’m pretty excited and keen to get going. However, that morning I was still coming to terms with having to run another 42km. Dread seems a bit too strong because I was looking forward to the challenge but at the same time, my body was lethargic and was looking for a good sleep instead of hitting the tarmac again.
Logistically, Rotterdam was excellent. Unlike Paris, there was no real waiting around. The atmosphere at the start was brilliant as well with heavy crowds for the first 2km which is always good. My tactic for the day was simply to survive. I was allowing myself a 5 min 30 secs per kilometer which is slower than usual. I started fairly slowly having to tie my lace and then a few km later I had to stop to take off a base layer… it was quite warm in Rotterdam. Keith had been telling us all week it would hit 22 degrees but to be honest, I didn’t want to believe him – that’ll ‘learn me’. But as I continued to plod along I noticed how much sweat I was losing. My breathing was fine and I wasn’t taxing myself too much so I put it down to heat and made a concerted effort to slow down and take on water at each station. The struggle began at around 30km. I walked out a few strides and as usual when I do, soon recognised that there’s no point in walking, it just makes the marathon take longer. Having the support team around was great as usual and I was living for seeing them at the 35km mark. Once I’d passed them I got a real buzz for about 3 – 4km. I pushed on a bit.
The crowds picked up again on the 40km and looking back now, I’m getting goosebumps on how I felt for the home strait of LeTrip. The sun was shining, crowds were cheering, music blaring, every-now-and-then somebody would say ‘Yup Shane, Yup’ and it was all good everywhere. I was comfortable enough to sit back to reflect a bit on the week we’d had and it was just sheer elation was amazing. I treated myself to a one arm up as I came towards the finish line and crowd walloped a cheer back at me…. a few seconds later I heard the support team cheering and managed to pick them out of the blur and then I crossed the line with a beaming smile and a sense of real personal satisfaction.
I met Jason after the line and a minute or two later, Steven joined us. I put in a call to Juliene who told me Chris had PB’d (such an incredible achievement… everything he deserved after his hard work. Paris robbed him and the way he ran that day shows how tough he is) and everybody else was was safely finished (although if you see John Golden’s finishing photos, he’s in agony with an injury) or on course to finish. It was a sweet first beer when we got back to the hotel.
So days later having landed back and with the event out of the way there was only one way things could go and that was down. LeTrip was simply amazing. It was a tough work to organise, prep for and complete but it went almost perfectly:
Two regrets – Firstly was losing the head on the last leg of the cycle which Keith referred to. Generally my consistency is a strength but with 15km to go I overreacted a bit to the lads splitting in different ways but we were all but home and dry by then. It took away from sense of achievement of stepping off the bikes. Second regret was not guarding the luggage a bit better when Keith had his bag stolen).
So with it all finished there was a big LeTrip sized hole in our lives. Myself and Brian took the rest of the week off work but John, Keith & Chris were straight back in to work on Wednesday and I don’t know how they managed. But by Friday I was back on top of things and feeling better. I spent 3 hours cleaning my bike and that really helped.
So thanks to everybody for supporting me and us. Thank you for your donations to a very special charity. Thanks again to our brilliant support team. A very big and special thank you to Juliene who travelled over to Rotterdam despite being exceptionally busy in work. She has put up with me, sacraficed and supported me for the past few months – with my lack of help around the apartment, lack of attention, lack of socialising with her friends etc. Hopefully she can deal with me training for the Dublin City Triathlon – once I learn to swim.
And a very big thank you and well done to Brian, Keith, John and Chris. That’s one I’ll be talking about in to my old age.
The Final Day : Rotterdam Marathon – by Keith
The final countdown:
I awoke on Sunday, in my mind I was already looking forward to 8 hours from now as I knew then that the final part of our gruelling challenge would be complete. This was very unusual for me, I genuinely wasn’t looking forward to the Rotterdam Marathon and the legs were still giving me a number of reminders of what I had put them through over the previous 8 days. The stiffness I had endured from the rest day the day before had subsided somewhat. So down to breakfast, I knew everyone was tired as there wasn’t the usual banter at the table, breakfast was the same as before the Paris marathon (half a bowl of muesli, banana, bottle of water and sports drink). I then noticed that Brian had just ordered an omelette with the works…. That raised a giggle then normal service was resumed in terms of banter. On the way back to the room the race director was blurting out race instructions to the elite, this was interesting and gave an insight into their pre-race logistics, routines, plans etc… Back to the room to don the gear, Let Trip shirt, shorts, calf guards, number, watch and runner shoes.
We met at 9.15 in the lobby and Cli & cameraman J were also there (as usual they looked chirpy and brought a warm smile although I am sure there were times during the trip when they thought – what the hell am I doing here), we met another group (friends of John’s) who landed the previous day and were also running the marathon, it was clear that some were quite nervous as it was there maiden voyage over the distance. So 16 strong (10 marathon runners, Julienne the sole 10K runner plus support crew – more about them later) we headed for the starting line, short stroll to the Metro and 5 stops later we were there. As usual first task was make contact with the watering closet. We said goodbye to the gang wished everyone good-luck and Team LeTrip all made our way to our starting pen. Another quick visit to the WC in the pen, You’ll Never Walk Alone is played to the crowd much to the delight of Shane then BOOM…. Canon is fired, one last handshake and good lucks to my 4 compadres and we were off. Unlike Paris which took me 50 minutes to cross the starting line we were off running just 3 minutes after the elite. The pace was slow for the first two KM and as we made our way over the bridge we saw the tricolours and the support crew enthuastically cheered us on. We as a group split shortly as we got caught in the crowd and secretly each had their own plan to get around. I decided to listen to my body and not a pace which again was unusual for me. Having run a very easy 3:40 in Paris I wasn’t sure what to expect from Rotterdam.
I genuinely loved the Paris marathon and was probably unfairly comparing routes, crowds etc… This didn’t help me so I decided to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. The plan was to meet the support crew at 13KM for the first drink, upon arrival I didn’t see them so kept going, I got a drink at 15KM – it was a cup with a horrible sponge as a lid an contained a hole where I could drink from. The taste was awful so decided to see what else was up the road, at mile 10 I pulled into the drink station and stopped to take on fluids, I was aware I hadn’t taken on anything. I took out the sponge and managed to down a cup of water. I went to take a gel from the belt and discovered that 3 of the 6 gels had burst? I didn’t let that act as a deterrent, I took a gel, quickly washed the goo off the back of the legs and I starting going again and was encouraged soon after by the other support crew (who were cheering John’s friends) who dotted themselves at various locations on the course. It was great to see them with the tricolour as they shouted encouragement. Next target in my head was to meet Sharon & Cli at 25KM for a bottle however wasn’t sure if I’d see them so I took a cup of water from the station and headed up the road, much to my delight I could see them and I was thrilled to get a full bottle from them, I left them (afterwards they mentioned that I appeared to be struggling) as I went around the corner I heard another shout, it was Julienne who had completed her 10KM (in a new PB) complete with the LeTrip Banner (it was a very nice touch). I started passing a number of Irish in the marathon as the heat was obviously taking its toll. It is so disappointing to train in close to zero degrees all Winter and Spring only for the marathon to occur on the warmest day of the year, I am told it was a balmy 20 degrees for the marathon. I made sure to offer a bit of encouragement to them as I passed, this helped me but I am not so sure it helped them.
I passed the 30KM banner and looked to the right where I could see the speed merchants running in the opposite direction – they were approaching 40KM, all that was between me and them was (i) a small barrier or (ii) a park, I decided to go the Park route. I was aware that many of my marathon failures (in terms of missing targets) often ended with me walking for long periods. Despite the legs getting heavier with each stride I ensured and kept telling myself not to walk. As I passed the 31KM mark this was a huge lift as I know only just over 10KM to go. I was passed by the 3.45 pacers but stayed with them for the next 5KM where I again met Sharon & Cli – it is so nice to have support on the crew dotted around. They were a target I used especially when I was struggling, I used them as milestones and as a place to get some much needed fluids. Despite being barely able to mutter a thank you of any sort it’s probably apt that I acknowledge the trojan work of John (cameraman J), Cliodhna & Anne in Paris and John, Cliodhna, Sharon & Julienne in Rotterdam. Thanks a million, your support was amazing. The KM’s from 37 – 40 were a struggle, I had managed to throw up on the run but more impressively didn’t get any on my running shoes. I couldn’t stomach the rancid taste of the sponge that came with every cup. I heard a roar of encouragement and looked to my left where a familiar face cheered me on. This was exactly what I needed at that stage. I proceeded up the road and managed to pass a number of other Irish and we offered each other encouragement to keep going till the end. When I saw the 1,000m to go sign I knew I was almost done and the sheer elation of what I had achieved over the week took over. Despite suffering during the marathon I was now throwing the arms in the air in celebratory fashion. I finished this with a massive smile on my face as cameraman J can testify too…. 3.46 only 6 minutes slower than Paris but I was made work so much harder for it.
I headed to the metro and met John whom I was delighted to hear had also suffered during the race (he is human after all). Back to the hotel where we all met up shortly afterwards, everyone got around, Chris a new PB (I’ll be chasing that in Dublin in Oct) and more importantly did so safely and with massive smiles.
So that’s LeTrip, I have had an amazing adventure, the fact we all got through it together despite the illness, theft, weather, tumbles and the enormity of the challenge. I loved every minute of the journey (Antwerp the only exception – never visit Antwerp) to the support team I thank you, to my 4 compadres I salute and whole heartily congratulate you.
As for the fundraising that’s gone far better than we envisaged also – current prediction is that we should hit the €10K mark soon once final monies are collected.
P.S. Anyone for Tromso in June 2014?
Day 4 On The Bike by Keith
Black Friday:
Up and at em… The last day on the bike and we were chomping at the bit to get going, down to breakfast and the spirits were high, that’s as good as it got unfortunately. Leaving the IBIS in Antwerp proved a real drama, first of all the bikes which were locked in a secure room overnight the receptionist then informed us that there was no key to be found to unlock the door. Numerous phone calls and conversations followed before the key was eventually found and the bikes brought to reception. Next task was to load the bags into the car as we did there was some sort of commotion and some shady characters swarmed the car. Some minutes later just before we set off we noticed that a bag was missing, this contained passport, various documents, cycling equipment, watch, jackets, glasses, cash etc… It was evident that it had been swiped so off to the police station to report the incident. Several hours later when we eventually departed Antwerp the mood was further dampened by the constant rain and wind. We were just looking forward to getting out of Antwerp.
Silver Lining:
As we reached the outskirts of Antwerp and headed for the Dutch border the mood improved, the guys did a great job lifting our (mine in particular) spirits and the earlier incidents were soon forgotten, back to the job in hand. I felt lucky to be flanked by this group as they continued to joke and sneer as only they can, they have an ability to turn everything into a laugh. So the cycle path (which incidentally took us through fields, forests, parks, housing estates across locks) in fact took us everywhere except the main road and made the journey more interesting. It wasn’t long before we reached the Dutch border and we continued to cycle for the next 100KM without stopping, actually we were forced to stop and abandon the bikes as we cycled into a storm, cowering in the bushes was another source of amusement as the thunder and lightning went off overhead. We got back on the bikes once the rain cleared however were forced to cycle into a huge headwind for a short period, luckily the cycle track turned and we had this gale on our backs. We decided to stop some 30KM from the final destination in Rotterdam, as we tucked into the petrol stations finest pre-packed sambos a wedding party pulled up and asked us to pose for a few shots with the bridal party, so being modest we settled for a small donation to our cause before temporarily releasing our image rights for use in a strangers wedding album… Mad to think we are now part of someone’s big day… Back onto the bikes and the final spin into Rotterdam, speed increases and we were all looking forward to getting home within the hour. Brian as usual did a manful job of sign spotting thus ensuring we’d not take the wrong path.
Tunnel Vision:
”John has never been to Rotterdam” in context is one of the funniest comments I have heard on the trip, those were the words spoken after the group temporarily split about 10KM from Rotterdam, Chris descended into a tunnel and myself and John decided to race him over the tunnel, Shane caught us up and wasn’t too please that the group had split and blurted out those famous words which was greeting by howls of laughter from John and myself – not sure Chris saw the funny side, but after the day I’ve had I think I was entitled to laugh. I will leave the rest of this for Shane to explain at a later date. Brian meanwhile was back a little pointing to two signs, both pointing to Rotterdam (one through the tunnel and the other around it).
The cycling portion of this epic journey was completed in appalling conditions as the rain pelted down, I had long since disguarded Mrs G’s finest yellow raincoat as it was causing me to sweat more than protect me from the elements (this incidentally was loaned to me after mine was missing in action somewhere in Antwerp) and I was soaked to the bone. The cycle through the city was made significantly easier since John located the cycle track he had lost some 50K previous. We made the hotel where Cli & cameraman J greeted us with tricolour and warm smiles.
We then noted that the elite marathon runners were all staying in the same hotel as ourselves, imagine the world’s finest marathon runners were intrigued with the crazy guys who had just cycled 140KM to do the Rotterdam marathon. We didn’t have the heart to tell them that in fact we had cycled from Paris. So rapid check in and shower and out the door again, this time to the expo to collect the marathon numbers. They were very understanding as I informed them I had no ID or documents to show them before I could collect my number. Quick bite to eat and then back to the hotel. I was thrilled that tomorrow would be a rest day. The first one since we began our journey 7 days previous.
Day 3 On The Bike by Shane
Day 2 took a lot out of me – I was fit for bed at 7pm but held out until 10.30pm. When we arrived that evening I was in no mood to tend to my bike and I skipped all housework too but I really was banjaxed. Come Thursday Morning though, I was back on form although a little panicked about hitting the 9am departure time. Car loaded, wheels pumped, bottles filled and with food in pockets, off we set with optimism of finding the revered Belgian cycle paths.
For those who aren’t ‘in the know’, I wasn’t until John told me, Belgium has a cycle path network which almost spans the whole country and reaches north in to the Netherlands also. After about 10 – 15km we happened on the first of our paths. Each path is numbered and when you log on to their website entering your departure and arrival points, ‘Bob is your uncle’ – they give you the number of all the paths you need to follow. It’s a great system in general but the surface of the paths let us down a bit as we encountered lots of ‘path works’ which we slowly snaked our way through. We negotiated fences, off road trails, canal gates (there’s Keith on the left Keith putting his guns into action). We’d a nice lunch but the stopping and starting caused by the cycle paths was beginning to take it’s toll. The nature of our cycling is all about momentum and constant speed, it becomes sapping when you have to continuously slow and accelerate. I think the paths would be more suitable for touring/hybrid/mountain bikes.
So when we hit Antwerp city limits and the juddering cobblestones, we were tired. It took us about 20 mins to find the hotel in a bustling Antwerp city centre but having flung our gear in to the hotel, we were quickly on the hunt for some food. I’m more of a pasta man but some of the lads were dying for some spuds so hit town looking for a potato dinner. A quick dinner and some Belgian waffles and it was bedtime.
Day 2 On The Bike by John
Day 2 on the bike and everyone is pepped (at least that’s the word Chris used!), as we set off from our base in Noyon and headed for the Belgian border. The road was smooth but full of drumlins, I thought I was back in Monaghan! Lunch stop was in the friendliest cafe in the world. The owner and his wife (mistress???) treated us to a monster size meal. I ordered “du lait” for keith but with my kerry accent, it sounded like deux Leffes and a very confused server arrived down with 2 glasses of beer!
On we went for the Belgian border and the rain came by the bucket load. But we preserved, and soon the Belgian border was in sight, even if it was a bit of an anti climax. Still with plenty miles to travel, we continued towards our destination for the night. Finally, between getting slightly lost, ending up on very busy duel carriage ways and asking weird Belgians for directions, we eventually reached our destination after the grand total of about 150 km. but boy was it worth it. Our accommodation was a beautiful typical old style Belgian farmhouse set in beautiful countryside (nearly but of course not quiet as beautiful as Kerry!!)
We tucked into a wonderful dinner cooked by Cliodhna and finished off with a bottle of beer kindly supplied by our hosts!
Day 1 On The Bike by Chris
So the first day on the bikes arrived, and after four days of great weather a quick look out the window showed us that the weather had done a 180 and it was lashing rain and windy. Never the less we got the gear on and with the car fully loaded the four of us waved good bye to Paris and to Cliodhna and john. The roads were busy with traffic and very slick due to the rain but we managed to carefully made our way through the maze of roads, pedestrians and crazy motorcyclists.
But soon enough the rain lifted and we crossed the boundary line of Paris and emerged into the French countryside. With the wind behind us we plowed along nicely and our spirits were lifted by the sun shining in our faces. We stopped after 67 kilometres for a hearty snack and a coffee and conveniently missed a rain shower which we then chased for a couple of hours. The roads were smooth and the terrain was kind so we made great time. Only 15 kilometres short of our destination of noyon we had our first puncture when johns back wheel went down, quickly followed by Keith’s front wheel.
A few minutes later we were back in action only for john to puncture again almost instantly, at this time we had contacted Cliodhna and john and they had come to find us to offer drinks and snacks etc and guide us the last 10k to our destination. This worked perfectly and before we knew it we were being greeted by our b&b owner. We checked in and then went on a hilarious trip to the supermarket for some hungry shopping. Keith then cooked up a storm and we stuffed our faces with pasta and chicken which went down great. John then nipped to the coffee shop with john to get coffees while the others set about oiling/cleaning and adjusting their bikes and planning the route for tomorrow. Tomorrow by the way is the queen stage which means its the toughest of the lot, 150k over the Belgian border. I think we are all expecting a long day in the saddle, so, with that in mind it’s lights out, we have an early start.
Step One – Done and Dusted by Shane
We all have the feeling that we’ve been neglecting the blog a bit but it has been a bit mental for the past few days. We landed, hit the expo, fed ourselves, slept, got up on Sat for the breakfast 5km run, assembled the bikes, ate more pasta, slept, ran the marathon etc etc. Anyways, we promise to do better… Even though we’ll be cycling 125km per day.
To business. The 37th Paris Marathon kicked off on the Champs Élysées yesterday morning with all 5 Le Trip in queue – there were 39,971 others there for good measure too. After a small bit of drama with some barriers and a 30 minute wait to clear the start, we all individually made our way down the cobbled streets and headed east in to the warming spring sunshine. Most people have been to Paris so I don’t need to mention how amazing it is, but there is a real novelty in taking part in an event which takes you through the streets of a city without any traffic. The same can be said for the Dublin City Marathon as it takes you through the city centre and past the GPO… Inspiring stuff.
So we all piled on, each in our own little worlds – different pace, thoughts, attitudes, music, food strategies but all with the same goal – finish at all costs! The course was well supported with spectators throughout although after about 30km, the noise quelled a bit which is probably when you need it more. We had an ace up our sleeves though. Anne, Cliodhna and John were out on the course for us and managed to meet us at the 8km, 20km and 30km mark. It makes such a difference to have familiar faces to aim for and on top of that they were packing our drinks too so it was great. Hard to express adequate gratitude to support which provides such a big boost – so thank you all.
The team have close to 40 marathons under our belts now and I think we were all agreed that the runner density was like no other run we’ve taken part in. Normally it’s fair expect the field would spread out after 5-10km maybe but there was no let up throughout and this lead to a few issues with slowing and bunching at water stations. We are used to such problems but it was at the extreme end on Sunday. It was a stark contrast to our last one in Clonakilty last November! However unlike Clonakilty, Paris was a very flat course with only a few peaks and throughs.
Delighted to say that we had 4 personal bests yesterday. John Golden flew through the crowds to claim a great time. Chris, Keith and Brian also nailed down super times which I have to say would have been faster on every other marathon course I have ran on and in Keith’s case, also because he was sick last week! It was a real testament to the hard work they committed to as part of Le Trip so if you get a chance, give them a ‘well done’ message if you haven’t already.
A couple of well earned beers followed as we sipped away before dinner. Not a wild night by any stretch of the imagination, we were back in the hotel by 9.30. It was nice to have relax a skip the pasta for a night!
Panic Stations by Brian
Holy crap….It’s already Thursday and suddenly I feel like Willy Wonka….”so much to do and so little time!!” Keith has been sending across lists of everything we need to pack and take with us but typically I’ve left it until the last minute to check what I’ve got and what I need to get…
Trainers – Check
Shorts – Check
Socks – Check
T-Shirts – Check
And after a quick look at the weather forecast…I think I best put one or two hoodies in my bag too…
So after several months of planning, fund raising and lots of hard training, the day of departure is almost upon us. Most of this week has been spent ensuring all my gear is ready for packing and performing the annoying task of disassembling my bike and trying to make it squeeze into the box provided by my local bike shop. When I looked at it at first I thought surely there is no way a road bike is gonna fit into that…but low and below, after fiddling around with nuts and bolts, twisting handlebars around and squeezing the front wheel along the side of the box..It’s in there. Only took 2 hours..and that was before I had to try and squeeze the other bits that needed to go in like my cycling shoes, spare tubes etc. Why did I think doing this myself would be a good idea??!
Tomorrow is an early start with a quick trip down the M1 to the Airport car park. Then it’s the bus across to the terminal and finally check-in….all without damaging the very fragile cardboard box containing my precious bike. Through to departures and hopefully meet up with the rest of the Le Trip lads for some breakfast before we fly out to Paris for the first leg of our challenge…but before we leave our gracious shores, I’ll say one last prayer that we stay lucky with the weather and that we all arrive back home safe & sound.
Fund Raising & Horse Racing by Keith
When the idea of fund raising was first muted and given the current economic climate we had to come up with a unique way of raising monies, something other than the usual method of haranguing the usual suspects for sponsorship. The timing of the event was important too as we wanted to ensure the fundraising was done prior to the departure for Le Trip. So what better than hitting one of the biggest sporting events in the country, the home of the Irish Grand National which is run annually and is the flagship event of the Fairyhouse Easter Racing Festival.
We decided to approach Peter Roe the MD of Fairyhouse Racecourse to ascertain if it was possible to do a collection during the Race Festival, we met Peter and we explained the concept behind Le Trip including details such as the trip was 100% financed by ourselves and that every cent raised would go to Temple St Children’s Hospital. To say Peter was enthused by the idea would be an under-statement. So much so that he insisted on a prominent placing near the main stage and opposite the entrance/exit gates, organised a race day interview and made sure we were best placed to raise as much money as we could for this great cause. So all Team Le Trip had to do was turn up, cycle (on stationary trainers) for some 6 hours and hopefully the punters would place a few bob in our buckets.
Sunday Bloody Sunday….
So while the rest of the nation awoke to Easter eggs it was off to Fairyhouse and the Easter Racing Festival for the latest fundraising effort by Team Le Trip, unphased by the Artic conditions that greeted us (we passed a polar bear and 14 penguins and 6 ice caps) as we made our way to the famous venue. Shortly after our arrival we headed for our pitch which was directly beside the main stage. Donning the famous Le Trip colours we then proceeded to piece together the bikes, stationary trainers, unfolded the Temple Street banners and buckets which would all be pivotal to our fund raising effort.
And they’re off……
Cliodhna with bucket in hand led the charge and was closely followed by the John (camera man J), Chris also with bucket in toe, headed to the right of our pitch (but soon regrets this strategy as he is forced into a headwind for long periods) while Johnny G complete with blinkers just looked lost. Further behind doing their best to find a rhythm on the bikes are the remainder of team Le Trip. Things started very brightly as the race going public gave generously to the cause, things inevitably slowed as the races took place.
Morale was kept high as Shane & Chris were summoned to do a ‘live’ interview to the race going crowd and did a super job, we also had plenty of curious visitors to Team Le Trip which included visits from kids wanting ”a shot” on the bike (which was facilitated much to the amusement of the parents), we were also visited by the Easter Bunny, Mr La Bucca Bear & Co and not to be up-staged Mr Tayto also arrived on the scene. Things got a little serious for a period as the Easter Bunny & La Bucca Bear squared up to each other however Team Le Trip decided the only way to settle the issue was for both to climb onto the bikes and for them to race. Both gave a great account of themselves and were inseparable at the finish so a draw was declared. We won’t mention Mr La Bucca Bear losing his pants in the process.
Final Furlong…..
As we continued through the day and to help eliminate the boredom but more importantly to stave off the cold, several positional changes were implemented throughout proceedings. As the racing drew to a close and the punters headed for the gates armed with pockets of change and/or winnings they dug deep to fill our buckets and by the time Team Le Trip departed Fairyhouse we had raised €1,000. Despite the bookies reeling in the majority of the punters money and the bitter cold weather everyone left the venue in high spirits. A huge word of thanks again to Peter Roe and all the staff at Fairyhouse race course for facilitating our fund raising effort.
P.S. A thank you also to the Easter bunny for the Cream Eggs, Mr Tayto for the crisps and LaBucca Bear & Co for the pizza
A Day of Disasters by Shane
I woke up with a startle on Sunday ‘Oh God, I’m late!’. I’d just turned the alarm clock off two mins beforehand – the snooze button had seen plenty of action already that morning but luckily enough I was on time. I managed to shake off my sleepiness and drag myself out of bed. I wouldn’t have liked to sleep in. Everybody else on the team is an early riser and if it wasn’t for Brian heading down from Dundalk, I’m pretty sure I’d be locked into 8am cycles on the weekends we get out on the road together. But 10am is the accepted start time so when I rocked over to Chris’s at 9.45 I was thinking – there’s a good day ahead….. even if I am still grumpy. In fact, snow and bad weather had been threatening the cycle all week long so the fact that we were a go and were actually meeting in Stepaside was a win in itself.
Chris greeted me with an eager smile – his excitement is infectious on mornings like this. This is a video is a lot like Chris’s reaction to going for a cycle ‘click here‘, except replace the word ‘walkies’ with ‘cycle’ and you’ll get the same reaction. He broke some bad news – Brian was stuck in Dundalk in some snow so wouldn’t be able to make it. ‘Ah well, four will have to do’. Four soon turned to three when we got a call from John Golden at 10.30 saying he was lost and was giving up. Turned out that John had left Kimmage at 9.30, had gone to far and was somewhere out near Glendalough. Even worse was that he was in a sulk at being lost so stopped taking our phone calls.
I was getting that sinking feeling as myself, Chris and Keith descended in the lift of Chris’s apartment block. ‘Have you ever had a puncture?’, ‘Not I’ve never had one on the road…. thanks for the Keith, you’ve jinxed me for the day now’ I said. 10 mins later, jut before our off, Keith’s back wheel popped. Yes that was bad start but after 20 mins of wrestling his undersized tyre off the bike (it was Chris doing this in fairness) and we were off again. ‘Hang On – I need to go back!’. This time he was having chain problems. So back we went. Another 10 mins sorting that out and finally we hit the road. We met up with Dermo who had been freezing his bit and bobs off waiting on us a few km down the road and the pelethon of four moved down through Rathfarnham on over the M50 on are way to Clane via Tallaght. BANG! Keith’s wheel again. I’m not going to go any further with this litany of woe – I think you get the picture. x3 tubes later, Keith was in the back of a taxi on his way to Chris’s and Chris, Dermo and I were facing into a short but cold 15km cycle back to Stepaside.
Ridiculous luck! Awful cold day to be standing on the roadside. We consoled ourselves with the fact that surely we can’t be that unlucky on Le Trip – best to get it all out of the way now. Fingers crossed it works like that. So there you have it – the worst luck Team Le Trip will have in 2013! And it’s all in the past!
That said, it wasn’t all bad though. We got to meet the support team proper – Cli and John. We’d a good natter about planning and logistics which really whets the appetite for getting on the road and getting things done. John Golden made a late arrival too for a good catch up and Brian – Brian managed to get out for a cycle too.
Cycles, jogs & slogs….. (by Keith)
As I hit the keyboard for the first time I cannot believe we are so close to ‘D’ date, seriously is there only a little over 2 weeks to LeTrip?
When Shane first mentioned the concept I thought he was joking (after all he is king of the of a one liners). I was aware that all the guys had previously done individual endurance events such as a marathon, cycle sportif, triathlon etc…. But this was on another level. The size of the challenge intrigued me so it wasn’t long before I told Shane to count me in. Much to my amusement I have since discovered that it is not uncommon for Shane & Chris to switch into ‘Walter Mitty’ mode as they dream up other endurance events and see how they can make these a reality, but more about that at a later date…
I think it’s fair to state that I knew the challenge would be a tough one, I am not sure if it is the dreaded ‘Taper ** Madness’ setting in but I have started to think if I may have under estimated the size of challenge? Well if I had then this weekend’s training which consisted of 2 cycles (130KM on Saturday & 40KM spin on Sunday), sandwiched between 2 long runs (10 miles on Friday & 21 miles on Monday), certainly hammered home the size of the task that lies ahead. I at least take solace in the fact I will be flanked by a group of like-minded (often stubborn) & enthusiastic guys (which of course includes fan/crew/support/chef/sister/driver/supporter Cliodhna), they are all good natured, and for the most part witty and humorous chaps which really helped us gel during our group cycles, half marathon pacing gigs, fundraising meetings and general collective efforts etc… They also know when to say something and more importantly know when it’s time to say nothing.
They all can run (as their marathon PB’s testify too) but each brings something different on the bike which of course is integral for a 4 day group spin. Shane the most fashionable man on a bike and has an uncanny ability to keep to a pace despite the terrain, Chris is a monster on the climbs and has a sickening ability to make it look effortless, Brian ensures that the group stays together, it’s fair to say he has had to work the most on the cycling front, perhaps he was inspired by the sheep or perhaps all his altitude training but he impressed us greatly with his peddle power during the recent Cooley experience and finally John the Meath historian & more recently Meath geography & hurling expert is also an all-rounder on the bike who appears to have a natural ability to be able to turn the crank all day. BTW congratulations to John who broke the 100 year old Meath record for downing the most burgers off the bike in one sitting….. Impressive stuff indeed.
So ‘Taper Madness’ or not I fully expect there to be moments of doubt, hurt, torment and worst of all in my opinion silence (I hope there won’t be too much of that) in those times of silence flanked by my amigos I will do my best to recall the inspiring words penned by Richard Rogers & Oscar Hammerstien (not part of Team LeTrip) for their 1945 musical and much to Shane’s delight I am sure, I will resist from singing out loud.
When you walk through the storm, Hold your head up high, And don’t be afraid of the dark, At the end of the storm, There is a golden sky, And the sweet silver song of the lark, Walk on, through the wind, Walk on, through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown, Walk on, Walk on, with hope in your heart, And you’ll never walk alone, You’ll never walk alone – (Insert peddle/cycle/run instead of walk)
P.S. Long range weather forecast for France, Belgium & Holland is currently predicting wind & rain…… Looks like Messer’s Rogers & Hammerstien may yet become an integral part of Team LeTrip…..
** The tapering phase is a critical part of endurance training. During the last couple of weeks of your training, it’s important that you taper, or cut back your mileage, to give your body and mind a chance to rest, recover, and prepare for your event
Planes, Train(er)s, Bikes & Automobiles by Cli
So far, the words that have generally been used to describe me by people who learn of my role as support driver for Le Trip are along the lines of mad & crazy. Well perhaps there is a bit of that but what on earth does that make Les Lads as I now affectionately call them?! To me, the only kind of words that should be used to describe Brian, Chris, John, Keith & Shane are motivated, committed & downright inspirational.
Volunteering for the position was a no brainer for me during a ‘water-cooler conversation’ with Chris in the office last summer. I love sport & travelling & I enjoy driving. So why not? Add in the incredibly worthy cause of raising funds for Temple Street and I didn’t need to be asked twice.
Whilst I have enjoyed daily chats with Chris about the challenges of his training over the last number of months & the main focus of people’s thoughts in terms of preparation for LeTrip is understandably around the physical training, the guys have also had to do an enormous amount of logistical planning to ensure that the dream would even be possible. Hire a van in Ireland, go by ferry to Calais, Le Havre, Cherbourg? Go via the UK? Come back by ferry from somewhere in France or Zeebrugge in Belgium? Some guys fly, some get the ferry? How to get the bikes there safely? And so on and so on. All options were discussed & the best decision was made for everyone. Once it was established we could get there ok it was a matter of making sure all the guys could co-ordinate their registration for both marathons and then the monstrous job of planning the 2 wheel route from Paris to Rotterdam. Add in flights, accommodation, packing lists… It’s just as well Shane ‘loves an auld spreadsheet’ to paraphrase Chris! These guys have been busy with a lot more than the miles & miles of training they have been putting in so diligently.
My contribution hasn’t even started yet but to say I am sick with excitement is unfortunately not an understatement this week. But I am now wrapping myself in as much cotton wool & bubble wrap as I can find for the next TWO AND A HALF WEEKS so that I am ready to do my bit to support the main stars of this incredible show. Bring on the cheering, driving, feeding, watering & whatever else I can do to make their lives a bit easier & no doubt there will be some emotional tears from us all at some point during the adventure too! Just don’t mention the words body butter… ;o)
Dig as deep as you can in those pockets if you haven’t already done so & keep the words of encouragement coming. Les Lads deserve your utmost respect & Temple Street deserves every single euro we can raise.
Keith & John – 130km Ratoath GAA Cycle by John
And so on St. Patrick’s weekend, myself and Keith lined up with 300 or so other MAMILs* for the Ratoath GAA 130km cycle – the official Tour de Meath. We set off at a decent pace but our inexperience soon told on the first little hill – the group was split in 2 and we found ourselves trailing at the back of the second group. This was just not on for competitive guys like us and so we spent the next 10 minutes or so working hard to bridge the gap. Lesson learned, we wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
Soon we were heading for the mystical Hill of Tara. At the bottom of the Hill, I sat on Keith’s wheel and Heffo, the ultimate King of the Mountains, dragged me up. It was great for our confidence as we passed cyclist after cyclist and Keith barely out of breath at the top. He told me later that he loves cycling hills and he is really looking forward to cycling in Holland. (I don’t think they did any geography classes in his school!!)
After getting a bit of grub, the pace really picked up after that. We were hitting over 40km on the flat and Keith was leading the charge. As I looked behind, I could see the group strung out in a line, some fellows barely able to breath. Heffo, the King of the Mountains, had now become Heffo, the Sprint Endurance King.
As we sped through various outposts in Meath, Keith would point out the landmarks to me, some of which left me quiet baffled. As we entered one village, Keith reliably informed me that we were entering “hurling country now”. Really? In Meath? Not to be outdone, I told him that the next time he was in Kerry, I’d bring him to the home of cricket.
The next 50km went in a blur as Heffo the Endurance King burned off the field. Lance with a bag of EPO wouldn’t have been able to keep with this pace. Heffo was on a mission. Next up was the second and final grub stop. “Will we stop Keith?” I asked. The look of horror on his face told me the answer. Stopping is for losers. “Fail to stop. Stop to fail” he sagely informed me. I’ve no idea what that meant but as we sped through the food stop, nearly knocking down the volunteers, I guessed it meant that we weren’t stopping!
On the final few kms, the legs got tired and we began to feel the pain. But we pushed on regardless and rolled back into Ratoath GAA club, a little over 4 hours after starting. We were told we were in the first 10 home and so were delighted with our efforts.
As I relaxed in the clubhouse, I could see Heffo holding court by the food stand. The King of the Mountins and the Sprint Endurance King, now became the guy from Man Vs Food on the Discovery channel as he tucked into an incalculable number of burgers and muffins. But he deserved it! And I enjoyed my day in “hurling country”!!
*MAMIL = Middle Aged Men In Lycra
Post Natal training (for fathers!!) by John
Putting on my personal trainer hat, I could easily write a post natal training blog. I’ve even run post natal fitness classes for new mums, so I should know what I’m talking about. However, having just become a father for the second time, I’ve realised that it’s not just mums who need post natal fitness training and motivation, but dads too!
Training for Le Trip takes up so much of our time but when I think of the good cause that we are fundraising for, it is relatively easy to motivate myself. But now, I’m getting up at all hours of the morning to feed a baby, and just when I think I can rest, the 2 year old wants to play football. (My only consolidation is that one day she’ll do what her father was never capable of and play for Kerry!!)
And so, with time at a premium, it becomes harder and harder to put on the running shoes or the cycling shoes. But yet I do, even if I’m yawning before I even start. So for everyone out there who says that men can’t multi-task, how wrong you are. We are worker, home-maker, nappy-changer, baby-feeder, house-cleaner, and Le Trip Trainer!!
PS: This blog and been written and posted without the prior authorisation of the Mrs Golden.
The Addiction of Training (Part Three) by Chris
While I have been focusing on my running more than my cycling it’s not because I like running more, in fact, far from it.
Cycling is something I have always loved. I love my gadgets and nothing is better for gadgetry than cycling. First you have the bike itself which can be as expensive and fancy as your wallet (or wife) will allow. Then you have the clothes and the shoes and the helmet and the sunglasses and the gloves. Then you need a speedometer and you might consider a GPS unit and a saddle bag and some lights and well this list can be as long (and expensive) as you like.
It’s also an activity which is very raw and basic, just you and your bike out in the elements with the possibility to travel fairly large distances. There is an element of camaraderie too with other cyclists, most drivers have little time or patience for us lot in lycra on a Sunday morning. Rarely will a cyclist go the other way without a nod or wave, this makes me happy. Also when the 5 of us taking part in Le Trip have met up for group cycles it has always proved to be enjoyable because, unlike running, cycling offers plenty of opportunities to chat and socialise while we move and, as we cover long distances never a trip goes by without us having some sort of comedy moments,like me chasing a lamb that had strayed from the flock onto a busy road (I hope I saved it) or Shane nearly being eaten by a dog that fancied his legs for lunch.
So, facing into Le Trip’s 500 kilometres of cycling in 4 days, I am trying not to under estimate how hard cycling for 125 kilometres a day will be, 2 days after running a marathon.
I do hope that we get enjoyment out of it. I have done a few 100 kilometres plus cycles and know that as long as the wind is kind it should be doable without going too deep in terms of physical exertion. At its best I think of the 5 of us cycling along laughing and joking ticking off the kilometres to the Belgian border and marveling at the dream come true of cycling in the Benelux countries with their rich cycling heritage.
At worst it could be a heads down 7 hour silent cycle into the wind and rain with barley an acknowledgement of the passing scenery, let’s hope it’s more of the former. But as the training for the last few winter months will surely come in play it always pays off to train for the worst and hope for the best.
The Addiction of Training (Part Two) by Chris
One thing that has been unusual about this block of training for me besides the level of consistency is that fact that I am doing it almost totally on my own. I used to run with Shane on most of my runs over an hour but our lives are both chock full of work and other commitments meaning it is nearly impossible to meet up. This, I hope, will stand to me when the going gets tough in Paris and Rotterdam as I am now in a stronger place mentally and am able to encourage myself to push or indeed restrain as needed. I have been listening to pod casts to alleviate some of the boredom of solo training, particularly talk ultra the ultra running podcast. To hear these people speak about running for multiple days and hundreds of miles makes me smile when I am feeling sheepish about stepping out for an hours run.
If you look to people who have been there and done that already and see and hear how they conquered the hard yards it can break barriers that you and others have put in place to allow yourself to feel better about failing. More often than not, it is your mind that gives in before your body.
Another tool I have been using to encourage myself is Twitter, I follow people that are runners or cyclists and that also work 9-5 and are not participating in sport for money or fame. It is a wonderful way to see how others cope and achieve amazing goals purely with the will to get there. Don’t let people say you can’t or you shouldn’t or that it will be very hard, that’s their problem. Your problems should be limited to where will you keep all the medals you will get and which finish line photo you should use for your Twitter or Facebook profile.
This weekend past I did manage to get a run in with Shane and we briefly discussed what we would do after Le Trip is over. I can’t see that far ahead yet, I am focused and in a mind-set where the goal is 4 weeks away and there is nothing afterward. I am toying with the idea of leaving marathon running behind and focusing on shorter distances, this seems to coincide nicely with the arrival of the Park Run in Marley which is a free timed 5 km every Saturday. But one thing is for sure I won’t stop training or running because I am addicted.
The Addiction of Training (Part One) by Chris
When Shane and I discussed the thought of Le Trip back in August of 2012 I had begun, and, already drifted away from, following my 16 week training plan for the Dublin marathon at the end of October. I had a let the scale of the training plan get on top of me and cracked at the first opportunity. The marathon came and went with a very poor time and was mostly one to forget, then, 6 weeks later this was followed by the Clonakilty marathon which in my malaise I had neglected to do any structured training for at all.
I failed spectacularly with my worst ever time and a huge amount of walking over the last 10k (Editor comment: Chris suffered an injury during this run!!). This was the wake up I needed, I was at a level of fitness where I could run pretty much any distance up to the marathon but I was slowly losing this fitness due to my very poor training structure.
So after a couple of weeks off after Clonakilty to lick my wounds I laid out a plan to tackle the mammoth task of getting fit for Le Trip. I decided to focus on my running with 5-6 days of training and 1 day for the bike. I also commute to work most days by bike but I don’t count this in my training as its short and I like to consider it relaxing not training.
I set my goal of running minimum 50k (30 miles) per week with no maximum for the month of January, I ended up with just over 200k of running which I was delighted with and I had got my fitness back up to a decent level over the 4 weeks. In February I decided to stick with this plan but to include longer runs every week. I did x3 2 hour runs and a number of half marathon distance runs, and I was delighted with my times and progress.
I always keep a diary of my training and in reading back over the last couple of years I don’t think I have ever had a more consistent period of training, which is great. I am now in a mind-set where training comes first, when I get home after work it’s into my gear and out the door before I have a chance to think about it too much and I always give myself a roar of congratulations after a mile or two on getting the better of the couch demon once again………….. Part 2 to follow Wednesday 13/03/13.
Sunday 3rd March 2013 – from Brian
Clear blue skies, fresh crisp morning and the lovely smell of silage…what more could you ask for on a spring Sunday morning standing at the starting line of the Bohermeen half-marathon. Another piece of the training plan for Le Trip but we are not only running in this race, we are acting as pace makers…pressure is on. Keith & Chris were pacing the 1Hr 45Min mark, me and Shane pacing the 2hr mark – and poor John was juggling his newly arrived daughter and a sick 3 year old!
As like any other race, the first few metres were very much stop & go….give the crowd time to space out a bit and let people get into their stride. After the first 1km or so everyone seemed to settle down and the race was on. Whilst the pace for a 2hr half-marathon was pretty comfortable the hardest part was actually sticking to that pace….as Shane commented “I’ve never looked at my watch so many times during a race”. So many times either I had to say it to Shane or vice versa to slow down or on a few occasions pick up the pace…
During the race, people had raced on ahead of us or we had picked up a few who decided to stay on our shoulders…but as we came into the last kilometre we had a few runners who were determined to break the 2hr mark. One gentleman told us this would be his first sub 2hr half-marathon which in itself is a great achievement but also a nice bit of praise for us acting as pacers. As we hit the last 500 metres, the crowd grew bigger and the encouragement became more vocal and we were all but pushing people across the line before the 2hr time had elapsed….for those who did finish under the time, it’s a nice feeling knowing you played some part in that. For us as a group it was another nice race to have under the belt and another step towards our departure for Le Trip.
Monday 25th February 2013 – from Brian
Sure..why not’..came my instant reply last year when Shane asked me if I would like to take part in a challenge for charity. Little did I know then what it would entail but several months later and after another 4 ½ hours (Yes..4 ½ hours) in the saddle cycling through Carlingford and the Cooley mountains we’re coming up quickly on our leaving date to the continent…
Our Challenge is to run 42.2km of the Paris Marathon on Sunday 7th April, leave Paris on our road bikes on Tuesday 9th April and over the course of the next 4 days cycle approx 500km to Rotterdam hopefully arriving on Friday 12th April. Finally, we will be running 42.2km of the Rotterdam marathon…phew!
Some people have said we’re quite mad which you may think is true but the thought of completing this challenge will be something of a huge personal achievement and something I will never do again…..the group of lads taking part are good craic (though I will say Keith has a tendency to get a bit grumpy of he gets cold and doesn’t get his coffee)…and we are hoping to raise as much as possible for a good cause, Temple Street Children’s hospital. It seems so long ago since we started talking about this but in 5 weeks we will be in Paris getting ready for our first leg….bring it on!
Le Trip for Temple Street 
