Last weekend, at Moxie, I took the plunge in the world of the expert distance races with the big hitters of adventure racing. Well it’s safe to say I wont be jostling for podium positions there.
This route was called the Moxie Pro (53km route) and it lived up to the billing…
Moxie
noun ~ NORTH AMERICAN ~ informal
force of character, determination, or nerve.
After clambering over the picturesque sandy shoreline of Blessington, I made my way to the 5km kayak section, where I saw the leaders leaving the water. The Irish sun (and its not often I can say this) was beginning to heat up nicely so the odd splash was very welcome. The choice of single or double kayak was presented but there was no one in sight to double up so I grabbed a single. Just under 50 mins later, after 2 grueling laps which one third was dominated by strong currents, I sheepishly got out of the kayak and slowly made my way to the bike transition trying to shake my legs out, only to see race winner Killian Heery, already finished. I still had a 33km cycle to do. Unbelievable!
Personally the hardest part of the cycle was getting my legs back working which took a few kilometers to get the blood back flowing again and then I was off. This was a lovely rolling 33km course with plenty of testing little hills, both up and down, around the circumference of Blessington Lake. You could see how a good cyclist would eat this section of the race up. Back to transition, exhausted, I came across the line in 4hrs, 11mins and 26secs. A far cry from winning time 2hrs 40mins 45secs but I was delighted with finishing it nevertheless.
I trained hard for this event, straying from my usual comfort zone of the sport routes and now to see and compare myself against the big hitters, it was a reality check for sure but I’m so glad I did it. I can only marvel at these super fit lads and ladies who complete these longer routes regularly. I’m a long way off that but one thing is for sure, this lived up to the term Moxie and also up to the term Adventure!
Leave A Comment