Time-out

31 July, 2025 - Brian Kitson

The weather was grand until we hit Stone Cross. As I drove up the hill towards Seahan my enthusiasm to race began to wane when a light mist began to fall. It became a heavy mist, then heavy rain. My travelling companions Alan Kennedy and Chris Willoughby, oblivious to the rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, chatted about their summer holidays as the wipers in my old jalopy and I fought to cope with the ever-changing types of rain. As we drove higher, the clouds packed-in any attempt to float and sagged heavily over Seahan Mountain. If you were to dig a hole, it would just be filled with cloud.

By the time we parked, the dregs of any interest I had to race were lost in the mist. I mused that I might just wait in the car for the duration of the race. Chris, hoping for an M50 win after several second-place finishes to me, told me that would be a great idea. Eventually, I pulled on my gear, dragged myself out of the car and began my warm-up. The sky had grown darker when I passed marshal Gordon Douglas. He was busy rummaging deep in his rucksack and when I asked if he was alright, he told me he was looking for his headtorch. It was 7 o’clock on a summer evening,

When we gathered beneath a mighty downpour for the start of the race, Race Director Martin Bagnall stood astride a large boulder and the metal barrier in an impressively brave and agile manner to deliver his briefing. I became so concerned for the leather-bound notebook he was holding that I didn’t catch much of the briefing as I watched it turn to mulch. After a conventional 3-2-1-Go (note: this is the only acceptable race countdown. Counting down from five takes ages and is incredibly boring and it is most egregious to even consider counting down from 10. We’re starting a race not launching a rocket) we tore off along the fire road bound for two trips up the mountain.

The mist was so heavy I experienced an odd drowning sensation as it streamed down my face during the skelter through the forest. Despite this I was moving well. A solid block of training coming into the Leinster League helped me to some of my best performances ever. Apart from some M50 category wins and a single voucher prize, the main benefit of being higher up the field has been to race just behind Graham Bushe and Bernard Fortune to witness the spectacular duels between the two strongest M55 runners. They couldn’t have more contrasting styles. Graham is a meticulous race planner whereas teak-tough Bernard turns up and the sense of doom the mountain experiences causes it to fall apart. From my usual position behind them, I secretly planned a surprise attack until summit marshal Mike Jordon rumbled me with an incredibly careless, “well done, Brian”. On the long descent Graham passed Bernard and I enjoyed the chasing them until we got to the final climb. They upped the pace and were out of sight by the time I hit the downhill to the finish.

Apart from a few early starters I was on my own on the rocky, rutty, muddy lethal descent. During my warm-up it was slippery and barely walkable, now in race mode, “hell for leather” was the only viable option. These Wednesday races are a relief from the real world. There’s no room for anything but pure focus. Avoid the branch, jump the rock, foot down there, speed up, ease up, speed up again, stay ahead, catch up, don’t look back. Two M55s raced like hell last night but we all had duels to sustain us. Mine was with myself. Two M80s raced last night. Imagine that. At that age - or any age - racing ten hard kilometres in laughably wet conditions over steep, swampy ground. Racing towards a timing mat but carried by a glorious indifference to time itself.

Brian Kitson

Seahan is believing.

31 July, 2025 - Mick Hanney

A nice parking setup in the field. The distance to the start seems longer than last year. Maybe it was the damp atmosphere adding mileage.

Not cool of some people to park in and around the Kilbride camp entrance where there is many no parking signs and double yellow lines.

I recall a great route last year. Great but tough. And that was on a dry evening with visibility. This evening was not that.

When its lashing rain before a race, do you run in the wet rain jacket or not? What jacket is even good in these circumstances?
What runners are good in these circumstances? I have runners I like, and the lugs do their job, but they seem to resist all efforts to secure their laces tight. Running under water for sections of races does not help. The gaffer tape around the laces is the trick to try the next time.

There is a race, I think in Montana, called run the rut. Seahan could steal that name and it would be aptly named. Lots of rut running.
Running on a rutted trail brings rapid fire choices, none of them good. Do you run in the narrow, rocky, watery rut? Do you gamble with running along the top of the rut, which can narrow suddenly and which is often slippy as hell. Or do you split the difference and do a combination. Ruts on steep downhill are another problem altogether. Fair play to the runners who can charge fearlessly down this terrain.

My race could be summed up by a series of overtaking. By others, of me. I was left in the wake of many of my recent running adversaries. They were obviously better running the ruts.

I can be happy about 1 thing and thats not slipping and falling on my backside. This was a constant risk.
Results say I finished 3s behind Alan Kennedy. Never saw him on the finish stretch. Need to go to specsavers.

I was slower than last year but in my defence I seemed to be carrying a good weight of water on me and in my shoes that I didn't have to carry before. Strava sections should have bad weather tags.

The helpers at the start and finish were great and the marshals around the course were fantastic. Ever supportive and remarkably cheerful despite the circumstances/

The warmdown run back to the car was actually quite nice. Rain had stopped and the gravity was favourable. Only 1 race of LL to go. Summer come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Boom muck boom puddle boom more muck

30 July, 2025 - Mikey Fry

Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom Martin said it was going to be sunny tonight well if you call lashings of rain sun it was beautiful and wet just the way I like it boom boom boom boom boom boom and we’re off along a horrible fire just to space us out before we lash right into mucky forest Bernard Rory Gramham all around over road into proper stuff up the rivers coming down I pass Bernard and Gramham it’s just like the Carrick race didn’t last to long over Barbie’s fence along somewhere very misty right turn up towards summit then a very long lasting hill down somewhere eventually turn around a couple of fallen guys seemed to be ok along the side ups and downs walks and slow running oh Niall did pass me earlier I keep him ahead Rory passing as well and a guy in a hat we did the tango Anna lurking behind and Tim eventually we hit the top Mike says which thought was 1k to finish but it was a great downhill if my knee hadn’t started to give out but held out on the downhill slower then I’d have like Tim was right behind me apparently he lost a contact in a tree pity he didn’t stop to look for it:)) boom hit the last bit slightly to goat for me Tim goes past I just struggle to the finish line actually remembered to stop my watch thanks to Martin and all those wet helpers you were great home food tea chocolate more chocolate when will this end good night Imra…mikey