Paul and Mark saddling up for Irish marathon sprint
THEY don't have a minute's race experience between them but Paul Day and Mark Jones will set off this month on a gruelling 96-hour cycle race around the coast of Ireland.
Both aged 40, they are part of a four-man team that will be taking part in the Race Around Ireland.
Described as an "ultra marathon", the endurance race is a time trail covering 1,350 miles of open roads, over some of Ireland's largest mountains and along everything from dual carriageway to dirt tracks.
It is the second longest event of its kind in the world, with only a race across America covering a greater distance.
Mark, a sports lecturer at Chesterfield College, and Paul, a Sheffield-based financial consultant, are both keen cyclists but have never taken part in a race.
The initial inspiration came after Mark had read Geoff Thomas' book in which the former Crystal Palace and England footballer details his battle with leukaemia.
"It was really motivating to read what Geoff had achieved and how he set up the Geoff Thomas Foundation," says Mark, who lives in Kiveton Park.
Mark got in touch with Paul. "When Mark contacted me I thought how great it would be to have that tick in the box of your life," says Paul, of Parkhead, Sheffield.
"Then I thought that if we were going to do it, it would be great to raise some money for charity."
Joined by Adi Green and Chris Holden, friends from Derby, they chose the Geoff Thomas Foundation and set about securing sponsorship. Support has come from a number of quarters including Sheffield United who have supplied the team's clothing and introduced the team to the crowd at the game against West Brom.
Starting on September 15, the race plan is for each of the four cyclists to ride for around 15 minutes or five miles at a sprinting speed before one of their team-mates takes over in a relay race-style handover.
The rules of the competition are strict and any mistake could result in penalties. "You have to stay in the headlights at night and make sure your wheels cross with the next rider," says Paul says of the changeover.
"If you get this wrong, you may be disqualified. That's why the support crew's role is so important," adds Paul. "At the end of the day we just have to cycle – everything else is down to them."
The cyclists turned to Jon Cook to help them assemble the best team possible. Jon, aged 48, has extensive experience of team management and has organised projects as varied as arranging for a blind man to fly a microlight plane from London to Sydney and overseeing a trek to the South Pole.
The Race Around Ireland threw up a whole new range of challenges.
"There are going to be anything between 300 and 400 rider transitions we have to manage during the race," says Jon. "Everyone's a chance to get disqualified or lose time, so it's going to be pretty relentless."
The success of the changeovers will be key to the race to the extent that a team of slower riders may still win if their changeovers are the best.
The team will be one of around 14 four-rider teams competing and are the only English entrants. Most of their competitors will be Irish and are experienced members of local cycle clubs.
"You have to remember that there's a big difference between this race and the Tour de France," says Jon. "That race is in stages and the riders get to go to bed at night whereas we are going to have to deal with a relentless 96 hours with the team trying to grab short bouts of sleep when it's their turn in the support vehicle."
The riders are going to make it even harder for themselves by attempting to complete the 96 hour race in 75 hours.
"This means an average of 18 miles an hour," Mark says, "but bearing in mind some of the hills are comparable to Winnats Pass, we're going to have to make time up when we're on the flat."
"I think the organisers quote 23,000 metres of climbing, which is almost three times the height of Everest," says Jon. Because of the difference in time it takes to climb hills compared with going down, the team estimate they will spend 95% of their time riding uphill.
Despite this, they are not only confident of completing the race but feel they stand a good chance of winning.
"When you tell people what we're doing they think we must be mad," Paul says, "but it's one of those things in life where you just have to get out of your comfort zone and do it.
"An experience like this can change your life," adds Paul. "After all, if you say 'yes' to more things you'll have led a fuller life."
Mark agrees: "At the end of the day, it's easier not to do it. The sense of achievement we'll feel will be massive."
The team is still looking for sponsors to help with the considerable costs. Progess can also be followed on the team website www.teamgtf.co.uk.
Everyone involved knows that teamwork will be the key and this is reflected in the fact that they all agree on the three things they intend to do as soon as the race is over.
"They'll be huge smiles, phone calls to our wives and a pint of Guinness," says Paul, although none of the team will say in which order these three things will happen.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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