Pirate outing to Bala 2014

Who wants to do Bala Middle distance next year?

it's a great race for practicing your nutrition and race day strategy as well as a great race.  it's well organised and a fantastic course.  To top it all they ensure the weather by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god.  Regardless of what the weather has been like elsewhere or the days preceding the race I have never had bad weather there (OK the sacrificing a virgin bit is an assumption and may not be true).

There is a great campsite up the road with good facilities or if you fancy slumming it the local hotels in Bala will accommodate you.  Overall a great friendly little race with a good deal of pirate history, I'd even go as far as saying the locals enjoy hosting the race.

List:

Avalaf

«13456712

Comments

  • What date is it, Avalaf?

  • Bala really is a great event, its been the 'official' warm up event every year until a couple of years ago, there had been talk of going back next year and 2015.

    Peronally I think the lack of a chosen warm up event has left a gap.

    I guess its all date dependent.

  • "by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god"

    you mean there's only one virgin in the whole of Wales??? image

  • My best guess is Sunday the 8th of June.  To be confirmed (it may be the 1st but unlikely).

    We used to camp for the weekend and do a casual bike course recce on the Saturday afternoon and then generally a try out of the wetsuits after that so its a good training weekend too.

  • Rafiki wrote (see)

    "by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god"

    you mean there's only one virgin in the whole of Wales??? image

    No there are several in wales, only one in Bala.

  • I've been thinking I'd like to do this one again, it was my first longish distance. 

  • For those needing a little extra persuasion, last time there was a homemade cake sale in the church hall on the Saturday.

  • Depending on date I may do it all or as part of a relay - I need bike training for Bolton. 

    already doing Wimbleball so date key thing.

  • I am very keen on this.  I have only done the Oly in Bala and it was a great event (back when my daughter was 6 weeks old and she is now 6 years old - how time flys)!

    I assume the Middle has closed roads too?

  • No closed roads but it is well marshalled.  Don't recall any issues since they changed the course.  the old course could get a bit hairy in the second half.

  • I am not too bothered about closed roads really, just a very nice added benefit on the Oly.

  • This remains my favourite half distance race.  If it were a suitable date I'd love to do it as the warm up event for Nice.  Sadly, however, I don't think it's going to be a great fit.  I guess we have to wait until they announce the date.

  • I'm doing Nice and will use this as my last big training weekend before Taper.

  • M..o.use wrote (see)

    This remains my favourite half distance race.  If it were a suitable date I'd love to do it as the warm up event for Nice.  Sadly, however, I don't think it's going to be a great fit.  I guess we have to wait until they announce the date.

    Its ok, its not on the same day image

  • And I didn't think you were doing Nice Mouse? Surely Bala would be good coat holding training.....?? image

  • I'm not, Rafi, but I don't want to wear my arms out at Bala before the main event.

  • Id like to see someone present some evidence and state how much impact doing a half at race pace 2-3 weeks from an Ironman has.

    In fact im also becoming very apathetic about the 3 week taper.  Is it something made up by the same people who think you should build up with a year of sprints, olys, middle distance?

  • They announced it a couple of weeks back.... 8th June 

  • Bouncing Barlist wrote (see)

    Id like to see someone present some evidence and state how much impact doing a half at race pace 2-3 weeks from an Ironman has.


    I was more concerned about the post race 'debrief' - I'd still have a hangover on the way to the airport for Nice! Hangovers last soooooooo long these days!!!

  • If doing Bala, take the Monday off so you can enjoy some relaxation on the campsite Sunday night.

  • Avalaf wrote (see)
    Rafiki wrote (see)

    "by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god"

    you mean there's only one virgin in the whole of Wales??? image

    No there are several in wales, only one in Bala.

    There are certainly none in the pirates

  • The Silent Assassin wrote (see)
    Avalaf wrote (see)
    Rafiki wrote (see)

    "by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god"

    you mean there's only one virgin in the whole of Wales??? image

    No there are several in wales, only one in Bala.

    There are certainly none in the pirates

     

    'cept Engineer....image

  • That's a good thing, it would be disappointing to turn up to a race to find your self being sacrificed.

  • Oh I don't know - Golden Boots seem to cope quite well at Outlaw as we sacrificed him to the gods of tequila the night before image

  • Barley - point accepted.  It's not that I think a half ironman would be a bad session.  I don't really care about race pace vs IM race pace either as I don't think I really push hard and I'm only in this for the jollies.  It's more that I worry that I should be doing a bigger session (ie a mahoosive bike ride) as my last big session.  That's also working on the basis of a three week taper too, which is your other point!

    On the other hand, the other voice in my head just thinks that we've all been doing this for a long time now, we've got good bases and we should do whatever we want and enjoy.  Unless we want to qualify, of course, and are taking a much more strategic approach.

    Excuse me whilst I pick this fencepost out of my bum. image

  • fwiw - I've never done a 3wk taper - 2 weeks max.  I'd go mental with a 3 weeker!

    if you look at the examples of Team TBB - Brett Sutton's group of top IM distance racers - I don't think taper exists in their vocabulary. Doc pushes these guys hard, very hard, in the weeks leading up to an IM race. I remember Aaron Farlow in 2011 winning Alpe D'Huez long distance, having had to ride there and back from Switzerland, and then the following weekend winning IMUK.  OK these guys are pros and have stacks of ability, but the same principles can apply to age groupers if you approach your training correctly.   but you have to want to do this - it's not something you can do half heartedly, it needs full on commitment

    me? I'm retired.... image

  • A couple more points - a three week taper to me does mean a 4 hr bike and a 2 hr run for the first of the three weeks.  It's a cut back week, not a taper week.  Second point, I don't think we can realistically compare ourselves to these pros because a) of their ability (as mentioned) but also b) they don't have to juggle everything else like we do.  We have to work as well, fit in cooking, cleaning, washing blah blah blah.  My rest day is never a rest day, it's a frantic rush to get all the other stuff in I can't get done the rest of the week.  I recall Chrissie mentioning in her book that she found it very frustrating when she first trained full time because she got bored sitting around doing nothing between times.  I'm sure I could do loads more training if I was able to get more sleep and not have to fit it all in around work.

  • I think taper at our level is entirely dependant on how serious you want to take it.  For Roth I started tapering 8 weeks out on a 12 week training planimage

  • Also as Mouse says, week 3 of an IM taper is probably still a 10 hour week.

  • Bouncing Barlist wrote (see)

    Id like to see someone present some evidence and state how much impact doing a half at race pace 2-3 weeks from an Ironman has.

    In fact im also becoming very apathetic about the 3 week taper.  Is it something made up by the same people who think you should build up with a year of sprints, olys, middle distance?

     

    Flat Footed wrote (see)
    The Silent Assassin wrote (see)
    Avalaf wrote (see)
    Rafiki wrote (see)

    "by sacrificing the local virgin to the weather god"

    you mean there's only one virgin in the whole of Wales??? image

    No there are several in wales, only one in Bala.

    There are certainly none in the pirates

     

    'cept Engineer....image

    Just because I turned you down doesn't mean I'm celibate. You're just not my type.

Sign In or Register to comment.