Adventure Race Training

The two teams got together at the weekend to train for the adventure race on 21st April. From Blessington lake we got onto the open Canadians and realised quite quickly how invaluable this training day was. The boats felt so unmanageable initially and they are higher than plastic boats so they get the wind a lot. We paddled around for about two hours with great instruction from Ciaran. He brought us up to where the race will start and showed us the area we would be paddling. We had paired off into what will probably be our partners on the day (4 on a team, two in a boat) so it was helpful to try out who would steer, who would go in front etc. because I was absolutely useless in the back and just as well we discovered that on Sunday and not on race day.
Sarah took the place of Bronagh who couldn't make it so the group was myself, Tony, Gary, Mikel, Krissy, Liam and Karen.
After lunch (I had made 'lashings' of home made energy bars, recipe here.) It was a short drive to the area where we would be mountain biking. It was lashing rain and the normally eager athletes were now procrastinating in their cars! We got going though and Brian took us to some great little trails, ideal for us lot, right in the area of the race. He gave sound advice which we all took on board and in no time were attempting things we would not have thought possible.
I hope the race day itself goes well and we all enjoy it. I'm hoping no-one takes it too seriously and that we all stick together, as is the rules. Of course an outing in Wicklow wouldn't be complete without me getting lost and that's just what happened when I went about 2 miles plast Zellars pub trying to get back to the car.

UPDATE: This post was so boring and doesn't contain the things I will really remember from the day so I'm updating.
1. Krissy talking about blokes all day and checking out anything with a pulse.
2. The 'cool' guy flashing his arse at us as he changed gear int he back of the van with the mountain bikes.
3. Liam being an absolute 'mentalist' on the downhills.
4. The canoe race we didn't win but stopped Tony from winning and that's the main thing.
5. Discussions on how girls always fancy instructors regardless of their handsomeness, though ours was handsome.
6. Me attempting to bike down a drop that half an hour earlier you wouldn't have paid me large sums of money to attempt. That's the point of good teaching I suppose.
7. Karen saying she was going to hang out later in ortmarnock and I pictured her in the park hanging out with some homeless dude, shooting the breeze.........
8. I wish I had a picture of Tony and his red bobble hat.
9. Krissy saying that we all looked like we had a willy in the wetsuits.