Wise Words of a mad man

True inspiration is something this man provides me with every time he talks, this is some of his finer work from today.... 

"if you want to look more muscley and hang out with your friends go to the gym, if you 

want to be a competitive cyclist , go your ride bike, BITCH"

Re-cap of 2013

My 2013 kicked off with the trials for the Irish XC youth development squad in mid January, I came to these trials having had pretty much a 4 month spell of not cycling so one could be pretty amazed that come the start of February I was selected as Munsters representative in the under 18 category. It was from here I began to put in the work. I started up a diet to bring me down to race weight from 11.5 stone to 10 stone and the mileage really kicked off.
In February I also joined a newly established local club called WCCC, these men gave me a free entry into the club as a member of the XC youth development squad and the clubs only junior rider. It was this group of lad that carried me through 2013 with their regular spins and my own trainer Donncha O'Brien being one of the main men behind pushing these spins. A great group of lads I owe a million thanks to for all the support throughout 2013.

Things get rolling:

As the season continued I kept becoming stronger and faster a rider but still off the pace to what I was riding in 2012, as we went on into march I was feeling pretty good so I decided to race my first ever Enduro race and this was the Atec Munster Enduro, I raced this on board my 100mm Ragley Hardtail which was sponsored to me by Robbies Bike Shop ( http://www.bicycleshop.ie ) and I rode for the day with my friend Jonathan Maunsell a very fast and stylish Enduro rider which eventually lead me to taking the win by 75 seconds over my fellow XC youth development team rider Luke Courtney and a 200 second gap back to third placed John McCarthy. 

 

I hit a wall: By the time May and June came I hit a wall in motivation. There are so many things I would like to blame it on, my leaving cert, stress, money problems, sponsor problems or end of a relationship. But honestly I was just scattered, I just needed some time away from everything and to get away from the leaving cert hassle. It was at this stage in the season I went back to my devotion of the last 6 years and I picked up an oar once again to Row in the Irish Coastal rowing Championships for my beloved club/family Kilmacabea. Its this choice that ended up causing the highlite of my year after a long 6 year wait I finally accomplished my dreams and took home both an All-Ireland and a County under 21 medal which I must say was no easy task as we rowed the 2300m multi turn courses. 

My motivation then kicked up for the XC National Champs held in late July which even though I had a diabolical race (blowing up on lap 1) due to just over training coming into the race, it was one of the best weekends iv had mountain biking. I went to the Champs with the Killarney CC crew and we stayed in an unbelievable BnB just outside Garvagh the race venue where we had a private swimming pool and all.. We rode the course on the saturday (maybe a few too many times) and I instantly fell inlove, it is by far the best XC course I have ever ridden, it has EVERYTHING! from flat fire road sprints to technical climbs, to technical descents to flat out single track. We then raced Sunday and Monday morning we headed off to Rostrevor Co.Down to sample the new trail centre. Well beaten from the day before we hauled around all looking forward to the final 5km descent which did not disappoint! All in all an amazing weekend with the lads. 

 national champs

Rostrevor

Once all the madness ended I began yet another journey, this time a bit bigger than Kerry to Derry, this time I was moving away from home. After 18 years living with my Mam and Dad I finally moved out to attend college in I.T.Tralee where I am now studying for a BA in Adventure Tourism Management (A pretty damn brilliant Course). Thankfully I already had some mountain biking friends in Tralee which I had gained over the years like my great friend Paul Lenihane and Oisin Shanahan both really self motivated racers. It was thanks to Paul I got to race the Irish DH National Champs in October of 2013 as the two of us spent several weeks in his garage assembling a rather rickidy Giant Glory for me to race on (he also drove me there). The champs was a great end to the season as I hadnt ridden a proper DH race in 2 years. I finished up in 4th in sport  just 0.300 of a second off 3rd and 2 seconds off first, I was also ranked 5th Licensed in the Senior Category.

 Race Run Nat Champs.

 Seeding Nat Champs

At the moment on my days off from the gym I am just riding my bike and going as quickly up and down hills as I physically can, I am training in the gym 3 to 4 days a week whilst in college and I get to ride my bike every weekend so I cant really complain, Im really looking forward to next year and I am getting hungrier for racing and podiums with every passing day.

What did I expect?

Something I am now beginning to dread is that first race of next season.. Will what I am doing be enough ? My worst race to date was the first round of the Kinetica Munster XC series in 2013. This race was my first time out with the Irish development team and it was just a mess. It was only a short three laps.. Not even an hour of racing but my body could not handle it. I had spent the entire winter (September 2012- January 2013) doing absolutely nothing but somehow I presumed my fitness from last season would have stuck with me. It didn't. I slogged around the course for the three laps with every lap through the feeding zones I felt as if the place went quiet, I felt as if I had done something awful and I wasn't the athlete the locals once knew. I never want this again.. If I am not prepared in the future more than likely I just wont race.
 There is plenty reasons I can blame on this lack of motivation/ preparation over the winter, school, leaving cert, bikes not being ready, being in a relationship (she did constantly tell me to go out training), but honestly I just had no drive to do it.. I was 17 with a car that was enough about it, its how 90% of my past competitors ended up leaving the sport.
Here is a pic from that race.

Why do I train?

People ask me constantly.. why do you train ? why are you doing that? truth is honestly.. I have no idea. I think it could be because I am so sickeningly competitive, this for me is a good and a bad thing. My competitive side does give me a constant sub conscious motivation to be better than others but obviously at times it can come across as arrogance and cockiness. As a cyclist you need these two factors which is a bit of a balls. Arrogance and a cockiness will give you an ego which you have to live up to, that ego will be the reason your willing to suffer alone for hours on end with your screaming legs that will cause you that emotional instability and regret of ever taking up this hobby. If any real cyclist says to you that they have not had a little weep of sheer desperation at times whilst out on the bike be it during training or racing they are just a liar if your not hurting, your not doing it right.

  

I just think this picture speaks for itself.. I hurt.. I have been hurting all winter but I am definetly not giving up, next year I want to be mine and I will hurt like this within reason for the rest of the winter until I know I have been hurt enough to compete.

I just think this picture speaks for itself.. I hurt.. I have been hurting all winter but I am definetly not giving up, next year I want to be mine and I will hurt like this within reason for the rest of the winter until I know I have been hurt enough to compete.

 

College life

College life as one would expect starts off a bit crazy but for me personally I found my own bubble quite quickly. For sure the first month is a drunken,  hungover, exhausted and tough to remember blur but now things have leveled out.. I am currently living in a house with four other lads all in their 20's so I would most definitely be considered the baby of the house (not a bad thing 90% of the time), a grand bunch of lads two I would consider great friends. Glen and I have settled into a nightly gym routine down at the local leisure complex as with the student discount its only 2 euro entry which includes the swimming pool. We are going about this routine quite sensibly however (not just jumping on any random machine) our week plan goes like this..

#Monday (Legs, Calves, Biceps)

• Squats - 3 sets x 12 reps (70-90-120kg)
• Leg Press - 3 sets x 15 reps (single leg 100-120kg)
• Walking Lunges - 3 sets x 30 reps (w/30kg)
• Leg extensions - 3 sets x 15 reps (single leg 35kg)
• Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets x 12 reps (15kg per arm)
• Seated EZ bar curls - 3 sets x 15 reps (20-30kg)
• 21's using EZ bar - 3 sets (20-30kg)

#Tuesday (Chest, Triceps)

• Flat bench - 3 sets x 12 reps (50-70kg)
• Incline bench - 3 sets x 12 reps (40-60kg)
• Incline Dumbbell - 3 sets x 12 reps (20-25kg)
• Dumbbell fly's - 3 sets x 12 reps (12-20kg)
• Tricep dips - 3 sets x 15 reps 
• Tricep cable extensions - 3 sets x 15 reps (20-30kg)

#Wednesday (Shoulder, Calves, Abs)

• Dumbbell press - 3 sets x 12 reps (25-30kg)
• Dumbbell fly's - 3 sets x 12 reps (12-20kg)
• Shrugs - 3 sets x 10 reps (25-30kg)
• Seated calve raise - 3 sets x 20-30 reps (50kg)
• Standing calve raise - 3 sets x 20 reps (60-90kg)

#Thursday (Back, Hamstring)

• Deadlift - 3 sets x 12 reps (70+kg)
• Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets x 12 reps (20-25kg)
• Latt pulldowns - 3 sets x 12 reps (45-60kg)
• Barbell rows - 3 sets x 12 reps (40-60kg)
• Stif leg deadlift - 3 sets x 12 reps (50+ kg)
• good mornings - 2 sets x 12 reps (20-30kg)
• leg curls - 4 sets x 12 reps (20-30kg)

* missed gym days are substituted with 45 min - 1 hr turbo sessions

* rest days are taken when sick

#Friday - Activity day with college

As a part of my course each day is spent participating in an adventure sport e.g.Surfing, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Mountain Skills (Hill walking), Rock climbing.. (this course was surely invented with me in mind) 

Sea Kayaking (Dingle bay, Co. Kerry)
First Kayaking trip with my course, learned plenty of turning techniques, Safety maneuvers (e.g. T-rescue) and successfully carried out an Eskimo roll.

(providers) - http://www.irishadventures.net/

Mountain Skills 1

(providers) - http://www.irishadventures.net/

Surfing (Banna Beach, Tralee, Co. Kerry)

(Provider) -  http://kingdomwaves.com/

Mountain Skills 1


(providers) - http://www.irishadventures.net/

Surfing (Banna Beach, Tralee, Co. Kerry)


(Provider) -  http://kingdomwaves.com/

Sea Kayaking (Fenit Pier, Co. Kerry)

(Provider) - http://www.irishadventures.net/

 Mountain Biking ( Ballyhoura, Co. Limerick)

(Provider) - http://spinin.ie/

                       Sea Kayaking (Dingle, Co. Kerry) ( Provider) - http://www.irishadventures.net/

#Weekends

Generally spent in Tralee messing about with bikes or hiding from the cold inside the gym because there is literally nothing else to do in town. I have did cycle home to west cork two weeks ago, the 111km took me 3 hrs 39 minutes on a cold, very boring, solo spin.  

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/431716503 (full log of workout) 

Into the void

On Friday 29th November 2013 I participated in the most epic of epic runs I have experienced in my life..

Venue- Carrauntoohil, The Macgillycuddy's reeks, Co. Kerry

Time: 10 am

Temperature: 7 Degrees

Duration (inc. food stop): 2 hrs 30 mins

Company: Mr Donncha O'Brien

Route- Hags Glen- Na Teanntai- Colmin Iochtarach- Heavenly gates- Just above the devils ladder- the peak- Devils ladder descending- Loch Gabhrach- Hags glen- Car park

After a late night the night before Donncha and I left my college house in Tralee before 9am and drove to the Macgillycuddy's reeks in the trusty pink (faded red) Hiace.. Once in the car park the realisation of how unprepared I was gave me a kick up the arse but i said nothing and braved on.. In my trusty Asic runners, running shorts, T-shirt and the most basic of basic wind sheeters Donncha (In all his fancy task specific gear) and I set off it. The pace started off as a gentle run along Hags glen from the car park and headed up the north side of  Loch Gabhrach and part ways up the Colmin Iochtarach. From here we ascended up to the Heavenly gates (a surreal experience in the fog and wind) we then ran across from the top of the heavenly gates around the hill over to just above the devils ladder where the gradient again kicked and we ascended the loose screed covered bike trail like path. Partially snow covered with a violent wind chill I was absolutely frozen.. frugally dressed I was quite overwhelmed when we got to the top. Once at the top i fell into a slight trance i felt that I had accomplished something greater than what I ever had previously.. After 4-5 minutes at the top we began a rapid descent with fast feet and strong stability being the two essentials. Once we reached the top of the devils ladder the pace slowed a lot for me as I unwillingly descended mainly on my face, ass and hands but once over the final waterfall the pace again exploded as we charged majestically over the rocks and harsh Kerry terrain. Once onto the flat ground I only fell once or twice more, I put this down to my shoe deciding it wanted to break in half. As we neared the end of Hags glen near the car park a realisation hit me.. It was coming to an end, once i realised this i no longer asked Donncha "how far more" for the simple reason of I didn't really want it to end. The realisation of it being the most amazing run I had done in my life hit me like a train once we made it back to the van.  I must admit sometimes whether it be exercise, the outdoors or just the experience you do get touched emotionally. It could be the fact that you are put out of your comfort zone for such a long period of time, it could be a buzz that only endurance and outdoor activities can provide you with. After this run i feel i look at my future training, my future careers and my life as a whole in a different perspective.. The human body can do so much more than you could ever make it.
 

   "Into the void"

Adventure Tourism

Choosing to study Adventure Tourism Management in I.T.Tralee may have been the greatest decision I have made in my life..

A video from one of the days out with my course in the Ballyhoura mountain bike trails. I am out front followed by Jay Scully of  http://spinin.ie/

here it is..
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202490145472568&set=vb.194223723960538&type=2&theater

Picture: Myself with classmates, Russell Boland and Mark Purcell

Myself with classmates, Russell Boland and Mark Purcell