Advice for a very enjoyable W200.

WICKLOW 200 – this is the second year of the NEW ROUTE - BUT THE AGE OLD ADVICE IS STILL THE SAME.

Here’s a modified version of Garret Connolly’s advice for a very enjoyable W200.


Wicklow 200
A few quick tips for those of you doing for the 1st time! Or even a 2nd. Or 3rd time...

1. Never ever treat it as a 200km day in your head!
2. When doing the ‘1st 100km’ count up as: 20km done, 50km done, and 75km done etc. etc.
3. Never ever say to yourself “180km to go” - “160km to go”.
4. Only start counting down the clock as in “75km to go”, “50km to go”, in the 2nd half of the day - once you pass the 100km mark.
5. Don't mentally recognize it as a 200km. If you start thinking 175km to go, it's all over....

Approx. distances:
20km Roundwood
50km Hollywood
75km Baltinglass Food Stop
100KM KNOCKANANNA
75km to go at Top of Shay Elliott
60km to goat Rathdrum Food Stop
40km to go at Glenealy
20 km to go at Kilcoole

SPLIT THE DAY MENTALLY IN 3 SEGMENTS:
1st Third is the start to Baltinglass food stop-some hills and rolling roads. We all know these roads and it's all about pace for the first 3rd to the food stop. Don't ever go hard over the old long hill or the Wicklow Gap or you'll pay for it later. Pace pace pace!

2nd Third is Baltinglass food stop to Rathdrum food stop-sounds easy right? Think again! Includes the monsters of Fake Sliabh Mann-Real Sliabh Mann, and then Shay Elliot back to back with no flat roads in between. This is definitely the most physically challenging section and if you leave nothing else in the legs or head after Shay (as I did on my 1st of 7 W200s) you'll be asking for trouble in the last 3rd again pace pace pace!
3rd Third is Rathdrum to back to Bray. This is the last 50km and on paper it's fairly flat and easy -paper lies. This is the section that can really kill people who've gone too hard on 1st-2nd thirds. This section includes a challenging climb, turning left before the Meeting of the Waters at 146km into the event. If someone has gone too hard early on - it's now the pain will start. However, if you pace yourself correctly you'll begin to pass by people while dancing on the peddles thinking isn't Wicklow great.
Although it seems like a tiny bump in the road the climb up at the post office in the last 20km to Kilcoole can destroy people, followed by Windgates and the final glory limb out of Enniskerry. It’s a tough finish, so you need plenty in reserve for the new finish.

EATING AND DRINKING THROUGHOUT.
Relying solely on food stops for a 200km is complete madness....bring plenty of food with you and eat regularly. Ballpark 1 bar min per hour. Bring gels if you're use to them but NEVER EXPERIMENT on anything new on the day. I'd advice leaving the gels until at least the 120km mark. Regular food will get you around. Drinking fluids is vital and I'd have 1 plain water for every 1 electrolyte (or diorolyte btls etc.). If it's hot expect to drink 4-6 bottles throughout the day. A simple way of doing it is to take 2-3 good sips every 1/2 hr on the flat and 2-3 sips every 1-1.5km on the hills.

No matter what happens when you get to the finish eat whatever is given to you. You'll have burned up to 6000-8000 calories and even if your body is sick at the sight of food it's in bad need of replenishment so eat the hell out of everything.
Above all never ever ‘ever’ get isolated and attempt to do it on your own. If you're dropped ease up and wait for a group and tag on. Being in a group will allow you to compete the day using 20-30% less energy.
If you take care of your pace on the hills on section 1 and 2 section 3 will be a fond memory for years to come. so remember pace pace pace!
And remember even on the worst days of Wicklow 200 over the last years 2011/2014 we've always had sunshine cycling into the finish so remember rain is only there to keep you cool as you climb the mountains!

Good meet up points to regroup throughout the route are the following:
1. Petrol Station at junction of N81 (past Hollywood)
2. Food Stop Baltinglass
3. Food Stop Rathdrum
4. Top of the Climb at Killmacurragh (152km approx. in).
Unless you want to do the last 50km on your own (and if you do you're mental) wait here and cruise back in in a peleton.

How to survive Wicklow 200 and love it in 10 words:
Pace, Group, Pace, Group, Eat, Pace, Group, Pace, Group, Drink

See you all in Bray, Garret

Many thanks to all the leaders/co-coordinators of the: Orange and Yellow repeater groups, and the First Timers for the last 9 week of mentoring. See you all in Ashton’s Pub at 07:30 pm for the celebrations.

Cheers,
Leonard
On behalf of the Leisure Committee