With a week now of storms passing through Ireland leaving devistating damage in its wake, especially in my home county of Donegal Ireland with collapsed bridges & roads and lands reclaimed by the sea making already a challenging route more difficult for both athletes & race around Ireland organisers. With team voodoo performance now safely through the regourous vehicle & equipment checklist with race around Ireland officials at moynalty co. Louth it’s on to the castle town of Trim for the race briefing later this afternoon. Excitement builds as athletes from around the world merge to this one point after months in preperation preparing & grooming the body & mind to endure the 2150km or 1200km course circumnavigating the wild Atlantic coastline of Ireland. The voodoo performance global endurance team are in great spirits, smiles alround & keen to press play 4pm tomorrow Sunday. Today Saturday will be spent with the team doing the final checks of kit, clothing, food medicines, fluids, nutrition hot & cold,maps navigation, weather reports, vehicle & bike kit, wheels tyres spares, the list goes on and a final team meeting at 7.15pm planned over some dinner discussing that organic race strategy.
Tomorrow Sunday & race day, With trim castle as the backdrop and a famous dublin band Aslan playing live on the festival stage ,riders & support crews with depart with a mixed bag of energy ,excitement , nerves & fear of that unknown journey ahead but surely that’s the magic of ultra endurance sport…. it certainly is for me.
So what goes through your mind knowing you’ve 2150km with a cutoff time to finish ? ….that’s posts to follow.
It’s time for food
Jason
