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| Descending Galtymore with Galtybeg in the Distance |
Another month drifts by and still there’s no sign of the entry opening for the 2013 MDS. I’m getting a little worried now as I have contacted the Irish agent for the race and have had no response despite leaving messages and emailing. I might have to be charitable and go down that route. Either way, I want in!
In the meantime I’m continuing on with my strategy of run when I feel like it and run in Fivefingers as often as possible.
I felt like a challenge at the start of April and so I packed myself off to the Galty Mountains in Tipperary, minus the fingers. It had been at least 4 years since I last run up the mountain, so I had forgotten about the start, which is relentless, a long stony track with a nasty incline that never seems to end. About three quarters of the way up (the first hillock of the stony track, not the mountain) I was reduced to walking, breathing very heavily and thinking of the dunes in the desert. This did not bode well for my confidence/motivation/mental health.
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| The cross at the summit of Galtymore - taken just before my encounter with the hungry sheep |
Once you get over the initial rise, it levels off and things felt good until I passed the air crash memorial and Galtymore comes into view. As one of Ireland’s six mountains over 3,000 ft it was rather imposing and the ground began to rise again quickly, as the stony road continued up toward Galtybeg. Onward and upward, skirting around the boggy bottom of Galtybeg and up what seemed like the near vertical rise to the top of Galtymore. It was a bit of a run/jog/walk at times, but I've been told that adding in some walking training is a good thing for the MDS. I was munching on a fig roll bar and a banana at the top and was freaked out when a sheep appeared in front of me and begged for food like a dog.
After that it was down the hill and up the slightly less taxing Galtybeg, along its ridge and down a quick and uneven descent back to the car. An enjoyable couple of hours no doubt and as good tester for the body for future events.
Apparently the MDS dunes are far bigger than Ireland's highest mountains, so looking forward to that, should I get in. All in all, a worthwhile trip and a good base to train in for the future.
