25th September - Kerry Legend Signs Up For An Adventure

 SEAMUS MOYNIHAN - EVENT AMBASSADOR           

Even in Kerry, few Gaelic football players have left such an indelible mark following a long and successful inter-county career as Seamus Moynihan has.  He has now taken up Adventure Racing on his door step in Killarney. With 4 All Ireland Football Medals, Seamus knows a thing or two about preparing for a big challenge.

  

SEAMUS TOP TIPS 

1.   Last week to get some Challenging training In: This is the last week where you can get one or 2 hard training sessions in. if possible, over next weekend try and get a hill run in followed by a cycle and another hill run in  to reflect what you will be asking your body to do on the day of the race. From Sunday on, you should be on Wind down mode to make sure you and nice and fresh for the day  of the event.

2.   Get some Kayak Training: For those who are not used of Kayaking or  for those who have never been out Kayaking before, it is vital that you organise one or 2 training sessions with someone who has experience rowing or using a kayak. This will be of major benefit to you on the day  of the race.

3.   Start planning your Food and Drink Intake. Ensure you have 2 full water bottles  on your bike and you have a water supply for the second climb after the Kayak (either a back bladder or a carrier bag with a  water bottle).  Have plenty of energy gels, jaffa cakes, wine gums, glucose sweets, bananas and salt sachets in your carrier bag. With regard to the Energy gels, try and use the gels which you have been using in training. If you don’t like the gels, try the energy bars. Make sure you eat food that agrees with you and what has worked for you in the training leading up to the event.

4.   Get your Bike Serviced: make sure you get the Bike serviced, a chain snapping or a burst tyre could destroy all the good time you made running up Strickeen. It is vital that if you don’t know how to fix a puncture, ask someone who knows to show you. A flat tube or a burst tyre is not the end of the world if you know how to change it – if you don’t well its game up. Always carry a spare tub and a to be safe fold and tie a spare tyre to your bike.

5.   Be organised -Get your Gear in Order: You have 2 weeks to get your gear in order – make sure you have the correct foot wear for climbing and running, that you have the correct cycling shorts and your top has pockets in the back to carry your first aid kit and some food.  You should write down a check list of all the gear you need for the event and tick off as you have in order, don’t leave this until the last minute as you will no doubt forget something.

6.   Sort out those niggling Injuries: make sure you give yourself every fighting chance on the day of the event. If you have some minor injuries or if you are feeling stiff make sure you get in for some Physio work or get a massage – your body deserves this after all the hard work.

7.   Stretch Stretch Stretch: if you cant get in for physio, make sure you stretch for 15 minutes every night stretching the main muscle types – calves, quads, groins, glutes. You have trained hard, make sure you stretch out those over trained muscle to keep them nice and supple.  You don’t want to pull or strain a tight muscle as this could put you out of the event or make it extremely tough for you.

8.   Plenty of Rest: get plenty of sleep in over the next 2 weeks, your body needs plenty of sleep to recover from the hard training. Aim for 7 good hours sleep a night.

9.   Eat Well: make sure you are getting plenty of complex carbs and  protein  into the body – your body needs to be well fuelled for this event so eat up. On the morning of the event try and eat something substantial 3 hours before you start. If you don’t you will  run out of energy very fast and will hit the wall.

19th September Latest News

KAYAK TIPS

It’s often the case that kayaking will get overlooked during training. After all, it’s far easier to pop your trainers on and go for a run or hop on your bike, than to find some water and a boat! So we thought we’d share some of our top tips for building speed without using too much muscle power.

Top ten paddling tips

1. Did you know that 75% of your paddle power comes from your torso rather than your arms and shoulders? Over-using the arms will quickly lead to fatigue and will have little effect on your overall speed. The simple fact is that the more you rotate your torso, the more power you will get from each stroke.
2. To get maximum movement from your torso you should sit in your kayak with your back resting comfortably against the seat. Keep both arms comfortably in-front of you and take the paddle in both hands (over handed with thumbs underneath), and line up your knuckles with the upward blade edge. The most important thing to remember here is to relax and don’t hold onto the paddle too tightly. Held correctly, your paddle will rest comfortably in your hands. Using a tight grip or placing your hands too close to one another, will make paddling a tiresome task.
3. Each paddle stroke works on a simple ‘pull and push’ action. The key is to keep the paddle steadily sweeping the water in a continuous movement. Always pull the paddle down with your downward stroke, whilst your upward arm should push the paddle shaft away to distribute the work evenly – and don’t forget to turn your torso into each and every stroke!
4. Once you have mastered the basic stroke you can start to build on your speed. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the harder you pull on the paddle the faster you will go. Instead try to minimise the lag time between your strokes. Again, the key is to keep your movement fluid. As one blade is ready to exit the water, the opposite blade should be ready to enter. Relax and keep that paddle moving and you’ll find yourself moving faster with minimal effort.
5. To get maximum control and speed from your kayak try to straighten and bend your knees when paddling forwards. For every stroke you take, straighten the leg on the same side you use the paddle blade.
6.  It may seem straightforward, but you would be amazed at how people lose time during a race spinning in frantic circles on the water whilst trying to control their kayaks. To turn your kayak, simply paddle on the opposite side that you want to turn into. To make your turn faster place your paddle into the water in a vertical direction on the side you want to turn to.
7.   During the Killarney Adventure Race you will be sharing your kayaking experience with a team mate or fellow competitor on tandem sit-on-top kayaks, and the ability to work together as a team will be crucial to your success. It is usually better to sit the most experienced paddler at the back of the boat. The person seated at the back should be in control of steering the boat, whilst the person at the front will scout for obstacles and help to pull the boat swiftly through the water. It is important to be as in sync with one another as possible, paddling on opposite sides to one another to keep the boat moving with ease. If you know your team mates well, then try to get some practice in before the race. If you are paired up with a stranger, try to spend a couple of minutes discussing your strategy before you take to the water. Above all, communicate with one another throughout!
8.  If you can’t access a kayak in advance of the race, there are things you can do to perfect your technique for the day. The best way to do this is to sit in some sand or loose dirt holding a broom handle. Pretend the dirt or sand is the water and practice your stroke. This will help you to visualise and improve the correct motions.
9. Don’t be fooled into thinking that kayaking is easy. Even with a good technique kayaking can be tough on the shoulders, arms and backs. Make sure you are fully prepared by building on your upper body strength prior to the event. Lift weights and do press ups and pull ups on a regular basis.
10. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Muckross Lake is truly spectacular so keep yourself as relaxed as possible and make sure you enjoy the stunning scenery and friendly atmosphere along the way!

8th September Latest News

Helly Hansen Ambassadors Blogs

This year we have enlisted 8 ambassadors to give us an insight to their training, their motivations and their advice for this year’s Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure race

Read how Ireland's top adventure racers go about their training and some remarkable stories on how our  ambassadors are using the Adventure race to over come their own challenges.

Read the Ambassador Blogs Here >>>>>>

Registration Closes on the 23rd of September

Registration is now 75% full, there are only 3 wave times left for the 59K & 69K routes.