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Category / Gaelforce North 2011
Why do I do adventure races? - By Mona Purcell  As my previous blog demonstrates I am not one of these elastic turbo people, who run a marathon before breakfast and swim a small ocean for lunch. No I like to keep fit but as mentioned I tend to enjoy the fine things in life a bit too heartily. However despite my fondness for (often many) pints of Guinness (yes I know as a woman it is not advisable but I've given up smoking so give me a break) my resting heart rate is around 55. Please see table at end of article on Heart Rates. So running can be a complete drag but it really works at keeping me fit. However as I think some days I was close to falling asleep as I ran (I kid you not) something had to change and thanks to a idle comment at a managers meeting around 8 years ago-something around the lines of “ well there is no way you would do it” (from Jamie Young directed to me- aka red rag to bull) life changed.
The comment resulted in 4 months later, myself and Jamie flying over to Devon in South England and competing in a 2 Day coast to coast adventure race. The idea was to enter it for research purposes as Jamie had an idea of bringing one to Ireland. I had no idea what I was letting myself into.
At the start line I felt completed intimidated as all these professional lycra clad very fit men and woman swarmed around chatting and sellotaping bananas to their handlebars (??)I begged Jamie and my boyfriend at the time if they would stay with me for the first 20 mins at least, just so I would not feel so bad watching the whole field disappear in front of me. They both stayed with me for approx 20 secs. I spent the next 2 days forcing my brain to disregard what my body was telling me and managed to drag myself across Devon alone, on foot, kayak and bike.
As I limped across the line 2 days later I dropped to my knees and swore blind I would never ever abuse myself like that again. I spent 3 months telling everyone who would listen how dreadful it was until one day some alien thought started to invade my brain.
Some small stream of thought began to trickle through the tirade of complaints and it startled me to realise it was a feeling of nostalgia. Odd memories of sharing gasping but hilarious conversations with other competitors as we struggled along vertical fog covered hills in the Devon moors. One other male competitor kept cycling up to me in the mist making the noise of a crying wolf- not really sure about his methods but it got me up the next hill.
Also memories of running along a precarious cliff path with a sparkling ocean below and seagulls watching with curiosity above I saw a part of Devon that many would never have the privilege to.
And so it went on until I realised that not only that I might have enjoyed myself but I also had a terrible longing to repeat it. Without noticing I found myself going online looking for the next challenge.
8 years later, and I'm still loving it. It has also invaded my work life and I now spend half my time organising Gaelforce races and discovering the new route up in North Donegal was a true adventure.
Looking back at my first race I think the attraction was that I had really been challenged and that was missing from my life. I think as society has developed we are increasingly removing ourselves from the natural elements and from truly testing ourselves. Technology ensures nothing is difficult, temperatures are controlled, transport is effortless, and our nanny state tells us with increasing persuasiveness how we should live our life to their standards.
Adventure racing is the antidote to this.
You are out there under your own power. Under the looming drama of the mountains and the sea your only help is the paddle and the wheel both around for about 4,000 years (although not sure the ancient Greeks had Cannondales!) You can wear the top of the range gear but the cold still seeps into your feet and hands, the muck gets into your socks causing blisters to attack, your
 muscles scream in agony pleading with you to quit. You go through about every emotion you can on the day, frustration, exhaustion, joy, pain, pride, envy, resentment, triumph and finally a sense of achievement like no other.
When you cross the line its only you who brought you there!
We all have our own battles and the vast majority of us will never see the winners podium but the sense power you take home with you tends to stay with you in all your walks of life be it personal or business and that my folks, is why adventure racing is becoming one of the fastest growing sports in this debt ridden depressed country- it gives us back our power.
Heart Rates ad how to take your pulse:
MEN
WOMAN
How to take your pulse.Place your 3 index fingers of your right hand firmly on the wrist of your left hand about 1cm from the start of your thumb parallel to your arm. Rest it there until you feel a clear pulse and then time how many beats there is in 15 seconds. Multiply this by 4 and check table above.
If your pulse is anything below average I would recommend getting doctors advice before you start any training programme.
As you train over the weeks you should see a distinct lowering of your resting pulse rate.
There are also optimum levels to train at to get the most benefits from your exercise. It will tell you if you are pushing yourself too hard or not hard enough. This is very useful if you are starting training and are unsure at what levels are for you.
You will need to buy a heart monitor for this and they are available at most sports stores. If you need to know what level your heart should be at whilst exercising contact mona@killary for more details A friend who was struggling with her weight once turned around to me and said "well your ok cos you are so lucky to love running"
I looked at her in amazement, slack jawed, "what do you mean, I can't stand it- some days I am nearly crying with the boredom and the boredom and the boredom of it all"
It was her turn to look at me amazed " so why on earth do you do it?"
I have always had a passion for sports but exciting sports-adventure sports such as windsurfing, kayaking and most of all horse riding especially the mental part that is cross country jumping! In other words sports that are so much fun that you want it to never end as opposed to counting each minute of torture.
So why do I run a minimum of 3 hours but often 5 hours a week.
If I was lucky enough to be able to do any of my favorite sports for 5 hours a week you can be sure I would be hard pushed to put my runners on ever again, however as a single mum, with a full time job life is a fairly hectic. Having just turned 40 and as a person who loves my food and my beer it is essential I exercise and so we come to the running.
The main reason I run is there are no excuses.
What I mean by this is nearly every other sport you can come up with a viable excuse as to why you cannot. For example a sport that needs more than one person, like squash or tennis requires just one of you to be having a lazy day and can convince you its probably a better idea to watch Greys Anatomy as there will certainly be some crucial medical advice that may one day save your life. Watersports can be notoriously frustrating. As someone who used to surf quite regularly I would be driven mad as the sea lay flat in front of me or as a very low skilled surfer that the massive waves were going to consume me for good. (I have friends of course who spend their entire time driving to the right beach to find the right wave, however I never had that passion)
Running works because it is just you and your guilt. It also works because with an initial investment into some of the now really excellent running gear available you can run in every single type of weather. I live in Connemara and have run in force 8 head winds that doubled the time of my run. This winter I felt like I should have had ice skates instead of my runners but I still managed to get out.
Running also works because no matter how you dread the run (and I drive everyone in the office to distraction as I moan for at least 30 mins before I go) afterwards you feel brilliant.
Running also works for someone like me as there is no surplus time around it. As in it takes me about 1 min to throw on my gear and I literally run from the front door. As I mentioned I am the mother of a gorgeous 2 year old so the only chance I have to run is during my lunch hour, but do not knock it till you try it.
Clearly you need to eat lunch so you need to have a job where you can eat a sandwich at your desk but you would be surprised how well you feel after running during your work day. I think we are all familiar with the post lunch head nod where the tuna baguette has entered your blood stream and caused such intense drowsiness that you find yourself drooling on your lap top. Well going for a run at lunch time does the exact opposite. It invigorates you and best of all, the meeting in the morning that left you reeling with anger has miracoulsly been reduced to a mere blip.
Also if you have any problems in work that you cannot find a solution to, you would be surprised how many knots unravel in your mind when you run.
I hear you asking about the unsavoury aroma you may have to inflict on your colleagues post run, well if you are lucky enough to have shower facilities a 2 minute shower is all it takes, if not get inventive with a hand basin!
No matter where you live you can run.
The best advice is to find a circular route, psychologically it is much easier to complete a run that is a circle rather than running to a point and returning.
Invest in decent gear. Go to a sports store and find an assistant that knows what they are talking about or keep reading this blog and we will give you some advice on what works best especially for adventure races.
DO NOT rely on a running partner. Fantastic if someone want to come running with you but have in in your head that you are running regardless and its a bonus if they come along.
If you are a new runner write to me mona@killary.com and I can give you advice that will start you off with out loosing interest or getting injured.
One more tip. I used to run after work and I found if I did not have my gear with me and I had to go home, I was lost, the sofa became a magnet. So Once I finished work I would go to the car and put on my gear, once the gear was on the guilt would have been to much to take it off without running.
I hope some of this helps. I never convinced my friend but then she is still in the same mad circle of crash dieting eating cabbage soup for a week and then giving up for a month. I'll take my running.
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