Carlingford bay
photo by Manuel, Epic
Setting off in a big bunch up a fireroad drag my legs felt half asleep and I struggled to stick to Mel Spath my main female competitor. I hoped they might improve as we went on but it didn’t really happen. The course had some really long, hard climbs but good legs or not they were worthwhile for the reward of the descent each time. There was a great variety of technical, rocky trails and fast, moorland singletrack (something like the North York Moors on drugs – similar terrain but on much bigger hills!). We were lucky with the weather with nearly everything being dry and even some hot sunshine – a rare thing up there, and views out over Carlingford Lough and the sea were spectacular. There were a lot of roadies in the race not used to off-road riding so I enjoyed making a point of riding everything, at least it felt good to ride up steep rocky climbs and pass all the guys pushing their bikes!
Although I didn’t feel I was riding very quickly, my pace seemed fairly steady and I slowly began to pass people as tiredness kicked in. The final long descent was the best part of the day, beginning with rocky switchbacks and ending in fast, narrow singletrack through the bracken, it ensured an adrenaline filled ending and gave my whole body a good battering as I bombed down it. I finished in just over 3.5 hours, 2nd female and 23rd overall (results here)
final descent
Thanks to Chuchulainn CC and all the organisers. Great event, great trails, perfect course marking and organisation, even hot showers afterwards. Not at all happy with my performance but can’t have it all I suppose.