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CLUB NEWS ARCHIVE

06 Dec 09

Winter League

The Winter League is still going strong every Thursday evening with 600-700 runners turning up to run either the 2mile or the 4mile course with 30 of our own club members taking part.  Based on a handicap system, the slower runners start off first with the faster runners last with peoples start time changing as they get faster. At the moment, after 4 runs, we are in the unusual position of having a female with the fastest time overall in the club with Pauline Lambe posting a time of 25.24mins in week 3.  Husband Barry Lambe put in a great effort last week but was just 1 second slower to post 25.25mins with Paul Hallahan next with 26.35mins.  Of the other females, Siobhan Kennedy is getting stronger every week to post 29.01mins last week with Siobhan Dunphy running 30.19mins.

06 Dec 09

Last weekend the 16^th annual Brickey 5mile run took place in Bushy Park, Co. Waterford.  There were perfect weather conditions for this tough course which is unusual in that prizes are awarded to people according to their weight category instead of age category.  Ned Power, who hadn’t ran a race in 2 years due to injury, made his comeback run and had a great race to finish 12^th overall in an excellent time of 32.22.  Andrew Hickey was next home in 34.40 with Aidan McCarthy, who has just had a new baby girl and was running with major lack of sleep, next to finish in 42.26.

06 Dec 09

The provisional Triathlon Ireland race calendar has been announced with our annual Triathlon in Dunmore East to take place on 19^th June next year.  Our race, which has been one of the largest and most popular sprint distance races in Ireland over the past 4 years, will also be part of the National Series and will attract a wide range of athletes from elite standard to beginners from all over Ireland.  We will also hold 2 duathlon races and 1 Aquathlon race next year.  Keep an eye on our website for race opening details early next year.

05 Nov 09

Winter League

The Winter League starts again this Thursday with registration at the RSC from 6pm.  The 12 race series has a new route this year to help deal with the large numbers of runners who take part each week with a 2 mile and a 4 mile option.  Check out www.waterfordac.com for more details.  Don’t forget your hi-viz vest.

26 Oct 09

Last Bank Holiday Monday over 12000 runners took to the streets of Dublin for the 30^th annual Dublin City Marathon.  This 26.2mile run took them all over the city with large crowds of spectators and supporters lined all along the course to offer encouragement and help.  We had our largest entry ever with 11 members taking part, all of whom were looking forward to this day as they had been training hard the past few months without taking a proper break after a long triathlon season.  Everyone had a goal in mind but you don’t know how your legs will perform on the day, especially those doing their 1^st marathon who just wanted to finish the race. Barry Lambe picked a perfect pace and held it throughout the race to finish in an excellent 2hrs 55mins.  Noel Dillon was next home in 3hrs 12mins, a good improvement on his time of 2 yrs ago.  This was Stefan Green’s 1^st marathon so he ran conservatively for the 1^st half and picked up the pace for the latter miles to finish in 3hrs 18mins.  His training partner Michael Bowes who was also doing this distance for the 1^st time also had a great run to finish in 3hrs 21mins with Brian Slattery just a few mins behind in 3hrs 28mins.  Colin Fanning was delighted with his time of 3hrs 29mins.  Marc O’Cathasaigh and Gavin Quinlan ran together until about mile 20 at which point Gavin didn’t feel as strong as Marc so told him to go on at his own pace.  Marc finished in 4hrs 04mins with Gavin a few mins behind in 4hrs 13mins, both delighted with their times as they were faster than previous marathon times.  Simone Giorgi was thrilled with his 1^st ever marathon to finish in 4hrs 04mins.  Roisín O’Grady and Una O’Shea were both nervous of their debut marathon, especially with Una missing a few weeks training due to injury.  They met at the start and planned to run together for as long as they both felt capable with their main aim just to finish the race.  They finished strongly in 4hrs 44mins each.  Martin Kirwan and Olive Costello were there as supporters running around to shout support at various points throughout the course.  They handed out over 12kg of sliced oranges and bags and bags of jelly babies to anyone who wanted with lots of grateful runners making a beeline for them with Ned Power and Caroline Russell also dotted throughout the course.  A well deserved rest for everyone now for a few weeks. 

26 SEP 09 - Win in Ballinasloe

The final race of the 25.5 series took place in Ballinasloe last week with almost 100 athletes who are new to the sport taking part in this sprint distance race.  This series of 4 races was aimed specifically towards the inexperienced triathlete and consisted of a 500m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.  Stephen Doyle, who had won the previous race in this series was back to retain his title.  He had a great swim but was a little put out to see a swimmer emerge before him and then to see a cyclist ahead of him on the bike.  He cycled hard to catch and overtake the cyclist only to find that the cyclist was part of a team so he realised he was well ahead in 1^st position.  He maintained this position on the run to win easily in 1.06.16.  A great end to his triathlon season and he can now concentrate on the marathon in a few weeks. 

26 Sep 09

Last weekend 6 hardy brave swimmers took on the challenge to swim the colossal distance of 5.3k from Hook lighthouse to Dunmore East strand beach.  This was the brainchild of Derek Barrett who was keen to do the challenge so, along with Mark Hayden, Stephen Doyle and 3 members of the Carrick Tri Club they got dropped off into the choppy waters at Hook at noon and began their swim home with the aid of kayakers for safety.  Things were never easy as they got caught in strong cross tides at the start which made it difficult to swim against and also had to slow up to let a large cargo ship pass by which was a bit scary.  They then had to swim around many sailing boats which were out in force which added onto their journey.  Mark was 1^st to hit the beach in Dunmore after swimming for 1hr 55mins with Stephen just 2mins behind in 1hr 57mins.  Derek was out there a lot longer as he completed the swim in just under 3hrs.  A huge achievement for them all as it was by far the longest distance they had ever completed in a swim. 

19 Sep 09 - Season Finale at Blacksod Triathlon

The final Olympic distance race and one of the final races of the season took place in Belmullet, Co. Mayo recently with 5 members of the club travelling the long distance to take part. Stephen Doyle was 1^st of the club out of the water in 6^th place overall followed closely by Mark Hayden in 8^th place who was actually doing his 1^st triathlon race ever.  They were both cycling on borrowed bikes so did not have much practice behind them.  Mark overtook Stephen on the bike and headed out on the run ahead of him.  Meanwhile Peter Barry who had emerged 84^th out of the water had an excellent bike, posting the 18^th fastest on the day to bring him well up the field.  Stephen had the best running legs on the day to overtake Mark to finish 15^th overall in 2.23.54 with Peter catching Mark on the run but unable to overtake him.  Mark finished 20^th overall in 2.28.08 with Peter just seconds behind in 2.28.21.  Stephen Butler emerged 89^th out of the swim but had a very strong bike and run to bring him up to 41^st place overall in 2.35.00.  Aidan McCarthy also gained lots of places on the bike and run to finish in 2.50.00.

26 Jul 09

Things were not looking good in Wicklow last Sunday morning for the Beast of the East Olympic distance race as 6 club members, along with 250 others racked their bikes in transition amid torrential rain which made the grassy surface very soggy and mucky and general pre-race preparations were miserable.  Just before race start though, luck was with them as the sun came out.  The 1500m swim took place in Lough Dan and seemed very long with everyone taking longer than their usual time to complete it as there seemed to be some kind of current in it.  The 45k cycle was very hilly, with sharp ascents and descents to negotiate and the 10k run was equally tough.  Barry Lambe was 1^st from the club home in 40^th overall, posting a super run to finish in 2.34.46.  Noel Ryan was next home in 2.39.19.  There was a battle next between Gavin Quinlan, Marc O’Cathasaigh and Brian Slattery.  Marc was 1^st out of the swim but both Gavin and Brian made up time on him on the bike with Gavin passing him before the end of the bike and Brian having the fastest bike time of the three.  Brian also had the fastest run time of the three but it was not enough to catch either of the 2 in front as they were running scared.  Gavin crossed the finish line in 2.52.31 with Marc a minute behind in 2.53.30 and Brian in 2.54.48.  Michael Bowes also competed in this race and after having a great swim, was going strong on the bike until disaster struck with only 26k remaining on the bike.  He got a puncture! Many people don’t mend punctures in races and don’t even bring the kit to do so which was the case with Michael so his race was over.  This race has now been included on the shortlist of the toughest Olympic distance races on the calendar by our club members. 

25 Jul 09

Noel Dillon was our only competitor in this race which took place in Carna in West Galway.  He was testing out his new super wetsuit and was delighted with his swim and cycle but reckoned his run could have been better (he even admitted to walking a bit) but he was happy with his overall performance of 2hrs 33mins, 29^th overall, 6^th in his age-group.  

25 Jul 09

The conditions were a bit better in Kinsale for their 10^th annual Sprint triathlon which had 250 athletes for their national series race where we had 8 club members taking part.  There were 2 starts to this race also, based on age and gender.  The sea looked calm but looks can be deceiving as we found out as it was very choppy on the latter half with a strong wind blowing from left to right so it made breathing difficult.  A combination of a long 750+m course and the sea conditions meant everyone’s swim time was a few mins slower than last year.  There were a few crosswinds on sections of the 20k bike but otherwise it was quite fast.  This race gets it name from the tough hill on the 5krun which, being an out and back course, has to be ascended twice.  Try as you might to run up this hill which starts as soon as you run out of transition, many people have to stop a walk a bit, probably not actually moving any slower than a run pace anyway. Shane Scadding lost bit of time to his competitors in the swim but posted the 4^th fastest bike time and had a strong run to finish 8^th overall in 1.06.57, 1^st in his age-group.  Colm Long is making a great come-back this year with very steady performances in all three disciplines to finish 69^th overall in 1.22.20.  John Brennan was one of the most prepared pre race as he had camped overnight in the transition field so didn’t have far to travel.  He was delighted with his race to finish in 1.23.15.  Aidan McCarthy was next home in 1.25.23, having tested the walking-faster-than-running theory on the up-hills but went head to head on a sprint finish on the sharp downhill finish.  He also had to do the cycle in his runners as he forgot his cycle shoes, which is difficult as he had no way of clipping his feet onto the pedals to stop them from slipping off.  Siobhan Dunphy had a very strong bike to finish in 1.30.08 with newbie Carol Sinnott having a very consistent race to finish in 1.36.51.  Helen Whyte wasn’t happy with her swim but she pushed hard on the bike to make up many places and finished in 1.39.22.  Michael Carroll had a great swim but suffered a bit on the tough run with leg cramps to finish in 1.41.55. 

19 Jul 09

The same day, many of the club members headed to Youghal to take part in their annual Sprint Triathlon with over 250 other competitors.  There were 2 starts to the race, split according to age and gender so there was plenty of room for everyone in the swim.  The sea was quite choppy with a bit of a current in it which made it quite difficult for any newbies or weak swimmers.  The 20k bike was pretty flat but there was a strong headwind which the cyclists had to fight against on the outward leg but which made for a fast return.  The 6.5k run had a tough hill in the middle of it which quickly zapped the energy from your legs and made you wish you had done more run training. Davin Power had a great race and even after a mishap with his bike on leaving transition, where he lost of bit of time, he posted the 4^th fastest run to finish 5^th overall in 1.05.49, getting a prize for 3^rd in his age-group.  Keith Radley, who has returned from sunny Spain, where he has obviously been keeping up with his swim training as he emerged 9^th out of the water, had a great bike and 5^th fastest run to finish 6^th overall in 1.06.17, winning 1^st place in his age-group.  He was also treated to everyone singing Happy Birthday as he went to collect his prize.  Noel Ryan was delighted with his race to finish 22^nd overall in 1.12.36.  Gavin Quinlan posted the 13^th fastest bike on the day to finish 44^th overall in 1.16.17.  Andrew Hickey and Liam Lowe both finished next in 1.18.15 and 1.19.09 respectively.  Conor Purcell was next home in 1.27.54 with Olive O’Brien seconds behind in 1.28.11 after a strong cycle.  Norma Goggin finished in 1.31.17, winning 1^st prize in her age-group.  Caroline Russell was highly apprehensive before the start as is was only her 2^nd triathlon and her 1^st time to race in the sea.  She found it quite difficult in the choppy waters but persevered to complete the swim and then went on to have a great bike and run to finish in 1.44.26.  Michael Carroll got a bad cramp in the swim which stayed with him on the bike and run which hampered him a bit but he was happy to finish in 1.47.57.  It was a great race and everyone was treated to tea and sandwiches afterwards.

18 Jul 09

Last weekend saw the National Sprint Championships take place in Athlone with over 2000 competitors on the day which also included an Olympic distance race and a novice race.  This was probably the largest ever race day held in Ireland with most of the top athletes from the country taking part.  The decision was made by the race organisers the night before that the current was too strong to swim the proposed route which included swimming upstream so it was changed to an 800m downstream swim only which was welcomed by the weaker swimmers.  There were 10 different starts which were organised by age-group so no-one had any idea where they finished overall until all times were adjusted and results compiled.  The 20k cycle was a flat fast course on closed roads but it got a bit hectic at times as the faster cyclists from the start behind caught up with and tried to overtake the slower cyclists in front.  The 5k run included 2 laps around the town and with hundreds of other runners running with you, all joining the run at different stages of their race, it made it very enjoyable, if a bit crowded at times. Shane Scadding was up against tough competition in this race and as he started in the 8^th wave start he had no idea how his race was going overall but he was able to race against his own age-group in his start.  He emerged 3^rd out of the water but soon moved into 1^st place on the bike, posting the 8^th fastest cycle time overall to finish 1^st in his age-group 40-44, 16^th overall in 1.06.46.  Noel Dillon was also delighted with his race, posting the 16^th fastest transition time (which many people call the 4^th discipline in triathlon) and finished in 1.14.43.  Helen Whyte was thrilled with the downstream only swim and overtook lots of competitors on the bike and run to finish in 1.34.20.

17^th July 09 - Great club representation at Carrick Triathlon

Last weekend saw the annual Triathlon in Carrick on Suir take place with over 400 athletes taking part in either the sprint triathlon or the shorter 500m swim try-athlon.  The start time was brought forward to 10.30am for tidal reasons for the swim which was a blessing as the majority of participants were finished by the time the heavy rains came.  There were 2 starts to the Sprint race, 5mins apart with the Try-athlon 5mins later again.  This race is perfect for the weaker swimmers as the current, no matter how strong will help you swim the distance in a much faster time than usual so this meant we had many people in transition together after the swim who would not normally be together.  It is also a great race for first-timers who may be apprehensive about swimming in open water of which we had a few.  We had 29 members taking part on the day, our largest ever in one race.  With the fast swim, many of them headed out on the 20k bike within seconds of each other so that was where the real race started.  The 5k run was pretty flat which involved running back along the scenic riverbank.

Davin Power had a great swim to emerge 9^th out of the water but between the bike and run he made up 1 place to finish 8^th overall in 1.02.38.  Martin Kirwan had his work cut out as he emerged 60^th out of the water and paused to put on socks in transition (as he is minding his feet for his Ironman race in a few weeks) but he posted the 5^th fastest bike and a great run brought him up to finish 11^th overall in 1.04.00.  There was a battle between Michael Bowes and Peter Barry who headed out on the run at the same time (posting the 11^th and 8^th fastest bike times respectively) but Michael had the stronger legs to finish 18^th overall in 1.05.35, getting a prize for 1^st Vet home, with Peter 19^th in 1.06.13.  Noel Dillon was next home in 24^th place in 1.08.36.  There was a battle between one of our youngest and oldest members next with Edward Walsh and Tom Casey.  Edward started in the 2^nd wave so Tom didn’t actually see him in front of him but Edward finished 31^st overall in 1.10.08, picking up a prize for 1^st Junior home with Tom 2 seconds behind in 1.10.10, picking up a prize for 1^st over 50 home.  Brian Slattery was delighted with the fast swim and after a sterling bike and run to finish 44^th overall in 1.11.59 with John Brennan a few seconds behind in 1.12.10.  Colm Long was next home next home in 1.12.52.  Marc O’Cathasaigh and Stephen Butler were head to head throughout the race but Marc just had the edge in the end to finish 1.13.26 with Stephen only seconds behind in 1.13.42.  John Power had a great cycle to finish 1.15.38.  Next home within seconds of each other were Siobhan Dunphy, 5^th lady overall, Simone Giorgi, competing in his 1^st race, and Aidan McCarthy in 1.16.30, 1.16.35 and 1.16.37 respectively.  Conor Purcell was next home in 1.19.29 with Ian Kelly not far behind in 1.19.53. Brian Healy had a great race for his 1^st triathlon to finish in 1.25.18.  Carol Sinnott is also new to the sport and was delighted with her race to finish in 1.26.41.  Caroline Russell had been losing sleep over this race for weeks as it was her 1^st and she was very apprehensive about the swim but she overcame all her fears to have a great race to finish in 1.27.00.  Ger Hearne was competing in only his 2^nd race and finished in 1.27.51 with first timer Tom Cullen a few seconds behind in 1.28.08 and Sean Roche close behind in 1.28.18.  Kat Whyte only decided on race morning that she was going to do the full race as she had back problem with was delighted with her time of 1.31.25.  Rachel Green was another person who lost countless nights of sleep over her debut race today but she did great to finish in 1.37.38.  Rebecca Warner had a calf injury so decided just to do the swim and bike so was a bit disappointed when she had to stop and not finish the race but was delighted with her performance. 

Olive Costello took part in the Try-athlon race and put in a brilliant performance to finish 2^nd lady overall in 1.31.51 only missing out on 1^st place by a few seconds which she lost when she had a pee stop on the cycle!  A podium finish in only her 3^rd race!  She definitely deserves a new bike now!  Michael Moloney participated as part of the team “The Secret Trainers” where he did the swim and they finished 3^rd team overall in 1.08.18. 

 17th July 09 - Tough Lough Ine Challenge

The following day, 5 club members travelled to West Cork to take part in the Olympic distance Lough Ine Challenge.  Parts of the course were flooded and in a bad state the night before the race but, with the improved weather conditions and the race organiser’s hard work, it was all clear and safe for the race.  The 1500m swim was very choppy and rough which made it quite difficult for any weak swimmers.  The 44k bike was one of the toughest ever encountered in a race with many undulating parts and one really steep hill which required getting off the saddle and pushing hard with burning legs to get up it.  Some people even walked it!  The 10k run was also quite tough with many climbs so all in all, it was voted as the toughest Olympic distance race which we have done so far.

Shane Scadding didn’t have a great swim, losing time to athletes he wouldn’t normally do to, but with a strong bike and run he finished 7^th overall in 2.16.24, 2^nd in his age-group.  Stefan Green had a great swim which put him in a strong position heading out on the bike and he maintained this position for the run to finish 19^th overall in 2.27.21.  Norma Goggin also had a good swim considering the conditions but the tough cycle took a lot out of her legs which she realised on the run but was delighted with her performance to finish in 3.28.32.  Michael Carroll also had a good swim considering he lost time in helping a fellow swimmer who was in difficulty, but found the bike challenging which reflected in the run but was delighted with his race to finish in 3.38.04.  Helen Whyte had a slow swim as she found it tough and, after the testing bike course, didn’t really find her legs in the run until the final 4k (which happened to be mainly downhill!) but was happy to have finished such a challenging race in 3.41.24.  

5^th July 09 - Kilkee National Champs

The National Olympic distance Triathlon Championships were held in Kilkee in West Clare recently which attracted a top class field with over 600 entrants from all over Ireland.  This race is called “Hell of the West” and with good reason.  It is the most difficult Olympic distance race on the calendar and if you can do this race you can do any race.  We had 16 members of the club taking part, some for the first time, so there were a few sleepless nights for some.  We all converged in Kilkee the night before, staying in various accommodation which included a make shift camp site for those with campervans.  Gavin Quinlan didn’t have great pre-race preparation as he went through about 4 new tubes in trying change a puncture, managing to puncture each one (and frighten the life out of his housemates).  He eventually borrowed a spare wheel from Martin Kirwan.

It was an early start on race morning with perfect conditions of little wind and bright sunshine so the sunscreen was liberally applied, which was quite a novelty.  The 1500m swim was lovely and calm and would have been perfect if it were not for the hundreds of quite large jelly fish which were floating very close to the surface, very illuminated by the bright sunshine.  They caused quite a scare to some club members (probably more the female members) but were totally harmless.  The 45k cycle was pretty undulating but it was the 10k run which drained everyone of their energy as it involved running up the side of a cliff for 5k before running back down it again and encountering uphills which you did not remember running down on the way up!

Shane Scadding had a great swim and bike and headed out on the run in 10^th place but could not maintain his position as the heat and dehydration got to him and he finished 18^th overall in the finish in 2.19.57, picking up a prize for 3^rd in his age-group.  There have been a few battles in recent races between Stefan Green and Martin Kirwan with both of them beating the other, depending on the day, but today it was Stefan who had the better race result to finish 67^th overall in 2.29.12 with Martin only seconds behind in 2.29.52 in 70^th place but managing to knock almost an amazing 30mins off last year’s time.  Did Martin lose it because he stopped to put on socks in transition, we’ll never know! Noel Ryan was next home in 2.33.53 with Barry Lambe not far behind in 2.35.09 and Noel Dillon just behind in 2.36.55.  Michael Moloney was probably sorry he got his new prescription goggles as the jelly fish would normally have been a blur but he had a great race to finish in 2.42.31.  Tom Casey was competing in his first Olympic distance race since breaking his femur last Christmas.  His run was a bit slower than usual but he was delighted to finish in 2.47.08.  This was Gavin Quinlan’s 1^st Olympic distance race so he was a bit apprehensive which turned to fear as Brian Slattery, who had an excellent cycle, almost caught him on the run and they both finished within seconds of each other in 2.51.35 and 2.52.01 respectively.  Colm Long had an upset stomach before the race so was happy with his time of 3.04.14.  Siobhan Dunphy had a brilliant race to knock over 25mins off last year’s time to finish in 3.08.22 improving on all 3 disciplines.  Norma Goggin was brave to choose this as only her 2^nd Olympic distance race.  She had a great start with an excellent swim and followed that with a strong bike and run and was delighted with her race to finish in 3.19.43.  Helen Whyte had her fastest swim over that distance ever and was delighted with her race to finish in 3.30.34, her quickest time for this race.

David (Dots) Connolly had entered the race but was only going to spectate as he had an injury but there was a bit of a panic when the swimmer of “Loop D Loops” team missed her flight so Dots volunteered to take her place at the last minute.  He did a great swim and handed over to Eleanor Carey who did the bike section, before 3^rd member Ann-Marie finished off with the run.  They were delighted with their performance of 3.18.49. A great team effort.

 New Ironman in the Club

We would like to congratulate Liam Lowe who recently completed Ironman Nice in 14hrs 08mins.  This was his 1^st Ironman and he completed the 3.8k swim in 1hr 13mins, the 190k bike in 6hrs 54mins and the 42k marathon run in 5hrs 30mins.  A great time for this tough race.  We would also like to congratulate other Waterford locals who competed in the same race, Donal Jacob, Vinny Power, Rolf Power, Alan Smith and Robin Stubbs.

22^nd June 09 - Great show from Club members in Waterford Triathlon

We held our 4^th annual sprint distance triathlon last weekend and, with over 500 competitors on the day, we needed all the help and marshals we could get, so most of the club’s longer term members were all out in force to help, so, apart from one or two exceptions, the only competitors we had on the day were new members from the past few months.  We had 22 taking part, most of them for the 1^st time and they put in a great performance. 

Davin Power, who has marshalled and helped organise this race for the past 4 years wanted to see it from the other side this year and competed in the race.  As it was a National Series race he was up against stiff competition from all over the country.  He had a pretty good swim but couldn’t get going properly on the bike but finished with a great run to finish 25^th overall in 1.22.57.  Peter Barry only started training for triathlons a few months ago and was delighted with his performance to finish 41^st overall in 1.27.04.  Louis O’Carroll has improved hugely in the past few months and was up against stiff competition in the Junior race.  He was neck and neck with his main rival throughout the race to eventually lose out to him on the run to finish just a few seconds behind him in 1.28.43, 54^th overall, 2^nd Junior.  Michael Moloney found the swim interesting as he was wearing his new goggles and could actually see where he was going and was delighted with his race to finish 76^th overall in 1.31.18.  Andrew Hickey was next home for the club to finish in 1.33.42.  Maria Murphy Griffin was next home after an excellent run to finish in 1.34.37, picking up a prize for 2^nd in her age-group.  Stephen Butler was only a few second behind in 1.34.54 with John Brennan and Edward Walshe very close in 1.35.30 and 1.35.33.  Marc O’Cathasaigh is another newcomer to the sport and had a great race to finish in 1.37.32.  Pauline Lambe, renowned for her running success and fresh from competing in Rás na Rinne (which she won and equalled the course record) the night before was competing in her 1^st triathlon.  The tough 7k run course suited her and she posted one of the fastest run times overall of the day to finish in 1.40.10.  Aidan McCarthy had been dreading the hill on the run for weeks but he had a great race to finish in 1.41.11.  Padraic Connolly found the swim tough for his 1^st triathlon attempt but he finished in a great time of 1.41.13, his new cycling shoes obviously helping him.  He can relax now before his wedding in a few weeks.  Ian Kelly, another newbie to the sport had an excellent swim and finished in 1.41.36.  Conor Purcell was next home in 1.43.48 with Bruce Wardrop next home in 1.49.03.  Paul Cusack was a bit nervous before his 1^st race but was delighted with his race to finish in 1.49.26.  Peter Roche was also competing in his 1^st race and was delighted to finish in 2.02.25.  Ger Hearne was very nervous of the swim but he sailed through the race to finish in 2.07.22.  Rosin O’Grady was also very anxious about the swim and was happy to be on terra firma for the bike and run where she passed lots of competitors to finish in 2.07.46.  Cora Marshal is a good swimmer but, this being her 1^st race, found herself caught in the middle of the bunch of swimmers where she found it to be very rough but was delighted with her race to finish in 2.10.56.

Jon Morley took part in the race as part of a team where he did the swim and cycle and then his team mate did the run.  They had a great race to finish in 1.38.31.  Check out www.waterford-triathlon.com for full results and some photos.

14/Jun/09

Every June some 2000 cyclists take to the roads of Wicklow to take part in either the Wicklow 200 or the shorter 100k cycle which takes in many tough ascents and descents including the Sally Gap, Slieve Mann and the Shay Elliott.  It was an early 7am start as there is a 14 hour cut off to finish including some food stops but most finish well inside that time.  This year Tom Casey, Martin Kirwan and Siobhan Dunphy took on the 200k challenge with Louis O’Carroll competing in the 100k cycle.  The Outward leg of the cycle was tough and hilly and there was a strong headwind for the return leg which took a lot out of the cyclists.  Tom and Martin are both cycling very strong at the moment and found themselves leading many a bunch of cyclists on the route, only to drop most of them on the hills.  Martin got 2 punctures close to the finish which was a slight hiccup but they both finished strong but tired after about 8 hours in the saddle.  Siobhan also had a great cycle spending the day with her Dungarvan cycle club mates.  Fair play to her, there’s not too many females who would undertake such a difficult cycle.  Louis O’Carroll’s strong cycle training showed also as he finished the 100k route with no bother

06/Jun/09

Last weekend some of the club travelled to Schull to take part in their annual sprint triathlon.  It was an unlikely victim of the leaving cert exams problem and had to be delayed for a few hours but over 265 athletes made it to the starting point in the sea which was quite choppy for the swim.  The cyclists were also unlucky to get some hailstones on the bike but the weather cleared up nicely for the run.  Colm Long, who has been on the missing list for the past few months due to work commitments had a great race to finish 39^th overall in 1.23.25.  Edward Walshe who was competing as a Junior got off to a slow start in the swim emerging 132^nd out of the water but his super bike and 19^th fastest run overall brought him up to finish 44^th overall to claim the prize for 1^st Junior home in 1.24.03.  John Carew was next home in 1.34.36 with Dave Forristal not far behind in 1.35.13. 

09/May/09

The 40^th annual Waterford to Tramore road race which is part of the Ger Wyley Sports/Nike summer series took place recently with a record of 354 entries.  The race started at City Hall and finished at the Majestic in Tramore which is 7.5miles in total.  It was a lovely night for the race which was a bonus with 10 members of our own club participating.  Colin Fanning had a great run to finish in 47.31mins.  Dermot Power, Andrew Hickey and Stephen Butler all finished within seconds of each other in 50.58mins, 51.15mins and 51.34mins.  Next home were Marc O’Cathasaigh and Derek Barrett almost together at 54.55mins and 54.57mins.  Dave Forristal had a great run to finish in 57.30mins with Dots Connolly next home in 62.44mins.  Annette O’Mahony who is doing many of the longer races this year had a great race to finish in 66.36mins with Roisin O’Grady just behind in 66.43mins.

24/Apr/09

The 2^nd race in the Ger Wyley/Nike Summer series took place with the 10k run in Butlerstown with unprecedented numbers taking part.  Over 313 runners lined up on a drizzly night to do 3 laps of the course which was tough for the athletes but great for the many spectators.  There was a top class field taking part so the pace was fast right from the start.  Peter Barry had a great run to finish 34^th overall in 38.28mins.  Maria Griffin was up against very tough competition in the ladies field especially as she has only recently started to race again.  She had a great race to finish 5^th lady, 44^th overall in a superb time of 39.14mins.  Colin Fanning got caught up in the fast pace at the start so suffered a bit on the final laps but had a brilliant finish time of 39.58mins.  Michael Moloney was delighted with his finish time of 41.04mins with Dermot Power not far behind in 41.49mins.  Marc O’Cathasaigh came home in a time of 44.54mins.  Caroline Russell is running strong lately and was delighted with her time of 51.31mins.  Annette O’Mahony and Tracy Pollard kept each other company on the run to finish in 1.00.24 and 1.00.44 respectively.  Stefan Green also took part in the race and was going great in the 1^st lap but had to pull out due to a stomach upset with which he knew he wouldn’t be able to finish the race with.  Hopefully it will be ok before his first Triathlon of this year next weekend.

18/Apr/09

The previous weekend saw 214 athletes take part in the 6 mile Marine Climb in Dungarvan which was the 1^st race of the Ger Wyley/Nike Summer series.  This is generally regarded as one of the toughest races in the series with some steep hills and climbs involved from the starting point in Dungarvan to the finish at the Marine Bar.  Michael Moloney had a great race to finish in 42.00mins with Andrew Hickey not too far behind in 42.30mins.  Caroline Russell was delighted with her time of 54.28mins as she managed to take off 4mins off last year’s time. 

18/Apr/09

Last weekend, the Comeragh Cycle Club held their Copper Coast Sportif cycle to help raise funds to enter a team of cyclists in the RAS cycle race which will take place here in Ireland in May in which professional teams from all over Europe will take part.  There was a huge turnout for the cycle with over 130 cyclists taking part in either the 50k or 100k cycle with the majority opting for the longer route which brought them down the coast road to Dungarvan and back the main road to Waterford.  We had 13 club members taking part with Davin Power, Stefan Green, Shane Scadding, Louis O’Carroll, Gavin Quinlan, Peter Barry, Michael Carroll, Tom Casey, Dermot Power, Michael Bowes, Siobhan Dunphy, Annette O’Mahony and Helen Whyte.  It was a great day out and organised exceptionally well with lots of foods and cakes supplied by the Comeragh CC club. 

17/Apr/09

The Splashworld 10k run in association with Balance Fitness was held recently in Tramore with almost 200 runners taking part.  It was a tough run with no way around the steep hill in Tramore other than to run up it.  Maria Griffin was first home for the club to finish 2^nd female overall in 25^th place in an excellent time of 40.50mins.  Stefan Green, who is an experienced triathlete but new to running races was next home in 31^st place in 41.32mins.  Dermot Power was running strong to finish in 38^th place in 42.45mins with Marc O’Cathasaigh finishing in 45.46mins and John Brennan home in 46.47mins.  Ann Hennebry ran the race with a group of her students from school to finish in 51mins.  Annette O’Mahony and Tracy Pollard came home together in 59.27 and 59.56mins respectively.

17/Apr/09

Carrick on Suir A.C. recently announced the details of their third annual Outfield Sports/Asics 3 Counties Challenge, which takes place in the Sunny South East between June and August this Summer. The first race takes place under the scenic Comeragh Mountains in Rathgormack ,Co. Waterford on June 5th (4 Miles from Carrick). All the proceeds from this 5 mile race go to the Irish Cancer Society.Race 2 takes us to the pictureiquse Co. Tipperary village of Ballyneale (2 miles from Carrick) for the Champion Kiely 5 Km on 3rd July. this race, on a flat fast course , is held in honour of one of Irelands greatest Olympians, Tom Kiely. For race 3 the series visits Co. Kilkenny for the Piltown 10km on July 17th, which is partly run in the grounds of Kildalton Agri College. This proved to be our biggest race last year, no doubt helped by the scenic lake surroundings of the college. The Last race in the series finally arrives in Carrick on Suir on August 7th for the Deadmans 5 mile race. All the races are held on Friday Nights with 7:30 starts.

05/Apr/09

What better way to see Paris than to run over 26miles around its famous streets taking in the attractions of the Eifel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame among other sights.  That’s exactly what Noel Dillon did recently when he participated in the Paris marathon with over 25000 other runners.  The race started at the Arc de Triumph, running down the beautiful Champs Elysees and 26 miles later finished back at the Arc de Triumph.  Noel’s training suffered a bit of a setback in the weeks leading up to the race when he fell of his bike and injured his groin.  He went over to Paris more or less to enjoy the race but still put in a brilliant performance.  He was doing better than expected in the 1^st half of the race but suffered a bit in the latter stages but still finished in an excellent time of 3hrs 20mins. 

29/Mar/09

The popular Connemara half marathon was held recently in the west of Ireland with over 3000 runners taking part from all over Ireland and abroad.  This is in it’s 7^th year with runners taking part in the ultra marathon, full marathon and half marathon all at the same time.  The course is very scenic but exposed to the elements with a tough hill in the latter stages that will play havoc with your timing.  David Connolly (Dots) had been in training for the full marathon but an injured knee in the weeks leading up to it put his training on hold so he decided to do the half marathon instead.  He had a great race to finish in 1hr 39mins.  His high spirits were almost dashed on the way home though as his van broke down 100 miles from home and he had to make other arrangements getting home and back up to collect his van.  Marc O’Cathasaigh was delighted with his race and finished in 1hr 47mins.  Gavin Quinlan also had a bit of bad luck in training on the lead up to the race as he had to rest an injured foot for a few weeks but he was able to run on it again in time to do the half marathon and had a great race to finish in 1hr 59mins. 

29/Mar/09

Waterford AC held their 4 mile road race in Waterford recently with over 170 runners taking to the streets.  It started across the bridge at the railway station and progressed up, down and around the streets of Waterford finishing at the RSC on the Cork rd.  It was a little windy at times especially on the home stretch but it didn’t stop everyone from running some fabulous times and enjoying themselves.  Colin Fanning didn’t feel 100% during the race but finished in an excellent time of 24.50mins.  David “Dots” Connolly was next home (with no after effects of the Connemara half marathon last week) with a blistering time of 27.18mins.  John Carew took off at speed right from the start and didn’t let up until he finished in an excellent time of 27.42mins.  Dave Forristal also had a great race to finish in 28.21mins.  Next home were Helen Whyte and Norma Goggin who decided they would look on this as a training run as they had done a windy 40 mile cycle the day before but as soon as the race started they couldn’t help themselves and set off at speed.  They paced themselves nicely and were thrilled with their times of 30.08mins and 30.13mins respectively. 

08/Mar/09

The Triathlon Ireland awards were recently held in Portlaoise with Waterford Triathlon Club receiving 4 medals.  The awards are based on points which athletes receive from various races which they do throughout the season.  Awards are given to overall age group winners in the National Series and to age group winners in the 3 distances, sprint, standard and half Ironman distance. Shane Scadding picked up a gold medal in the National Series to win his age group 40-44yrs and also a gold medal in his age-group for the National Standard distance triathlon.  He also finished an excellent 10^th overall in the National Series which has almost 2000 competitors registered proving that age is no barrier.  Tom Casey picked up a bronze medal in the National Series to finish 3^rd overall in a hotly contested age-group 50-54yrs and also finished a brilliant 45^th overall in the National Series.  Louis O’Carroll, who is going from strength to strength at the moment, picked up a bronze medal in the Junior category in the National Series.  Based on points received by all members in various races, Waterford Triathlon Club also finished a commendable 13^th overall (out of a total of 35) in the club rankings.

22/Feb/09

The 2^nd Duathlon in the Limerick series took place recently with another great entry of over 100 athletes for this 3.8k run, 16k cycle, 3.8krun.  The 2 runs involve a tough hill and the bike leg was difficult as it was undulating on the way out and everyone was looking forward to the return leg which should have been fast but the strong wind took away any advantage of down hills. Martin Kirwan had 2 great runs and a strong bike despite the windy conditions to finish a brilliant 6^th overall in 51.56mins.  Olive Costello was participating in her 1^st ever duathlon race today so was a bit nervous before the start.  She found the bike tough and uncomfortable with the wind but after she set off on the 2^nd run and got into her stride she was fine and finished in an excellent time of 1hr 16mins.  

25/Jan/09

Michael Moloney was our only competitor in the Colligan cup race which was held last week amid horrible weather conditions.  The aim of the race is to predict your finishing time and the person closest to the time wins.  This was Michael’s 1^st time taking part in this race so he did brilliant to be just 5 seconds out on his predicted time.  He finished 6^th overall and won a prize as he was the first-timer closest to his predicted time.

30 NOV 2008

Winter Training

Now that the Triathlon season is over for this year we have changed our training schedule which now includes long runs and cycles at the weekends and various sessions during the week including circuit training, spinning classes, track sessions, swimming and the annual Winter League which resumes again on Thurs. 6^th November.  It won’t be long before next years race season begins again with some of the early Duathlons on next February.  For further information on any training please contact Helen on 087 6202349.

Great turnout for Run For Life

Over 550 runners took to the streets of Waterford recently for the 10 mile Run For Life race which helped raise over €250,000 for the building of a new Cancer care Centre in Waterford.  The morning started off nice and bright but was very windy and most of the runners were fortunate enough to be almost finished the race by the time the heavy rains came but it made for a miserable day for the many walkers who got caught out in it.  It was great to see so many spectators lining the run route on such a horrible day giving their support to everyone. 

Very little separated the 1^st 3 home from the club with Colin Fanning having a great run to finish in 1.07.53 with Michael Moloney not far behind in 1.09.00 and Dermot Power coming home in 1.09.43.  Pat Giles also put in a great performance to finish in 1.12.29 with Brian Russell next home in 1.17.14.  Ann Hennebry and Norma Goggin ran most of the way together but the last mile of the race which was very windy and up a slight hill was too much for Norma who fell behind a little with Ann finishing in 1.18.27 and Norma in 1.19.20.  Gavin Quinlan was delighted with his race to finish in 1.22.59.  Next home was Caroline Russell who, up to a few months ago was only running half this distance so it was a great achievement for her to run the 10 miles today in 1.28.58. 

Huge Enthusiasm for Club Duathlon in Fenor

Over the winter it can be hard to remain focused on training and what your aims for the following year are.  It can also be at time when club members don’t meet up with one another as often as they might have over the racing period.  With this in mind we are organising a Club duathlon in Fenor each month over the winter period which is kindly sponsored by Alfie Hales Sports shop.  It will consist of a 5k run, 19k cycle followed by a 3k run.  We held our first one recently and had 20 participants from the club and a few friends and family who are interested in duathlon and triathlon.  The day was a bit windy with some people claiming the wind was against them the whole time.  Michael McGrath had a great race and was 1^st home in 1.07.20.  Martin Kirwan, who is only recovering from his injury after the marathon, was next home in 1.09.10 with Noel Dillon (Ironman!) next home in 1.11.16.  In the Ladies, Caroline Russell was 1^st home in 1.32.18 with Olive Costello attempting a duathlon for the 1^st time home next. Our next race in on Dec. 6^th so if you can run and have a bike and are interested in trying a duathlon or training for a triathlon please contact Helen on 087 6202349 for further details. 

Winter League more popular than ever

The annual Winter League which has been taking place each winter for the last number of years has grown beyond expectations to attract up to 600 runners on a Thursday night at the starting point at the Regional Sports Centre.  Working on a handicapped time system, it sees the slower runners starting off before the faster ones so no-one is left behind feeling as though everyone has run off and left them.  There is a choice of 5.2mile run or 2.5mile run.  Many people start off with the shorter run and after a few weeks they feel able to do the longer one.  This year we have had over 30 club members taking part in the league so far, many attempting it for the first time.  Everyone’s aim it to run just a little faster each week for the 12 weeks and hopefully reduce their time overall.  At the moment, after race 3, Brendan Mooney tops the table with 32.18mins for the 5.2 miles followed closely by Eddie Delaney and Noel Dillon with 32.23 mins and 34.20 mins respectively.  In the ladies, Niamh Sullivan is running strong at 41.33 mins with Helen Whyte and Olive O’Brien with 42.34mins and 43.03mins respectively.  Results of each week can be found on our website.

Marathon Men

Martin Kirwan and Brian Slattery recently competed in the Dublin City Marathon with great results.  Brian had a target time in his head before the race and was delighted to come in ahead of it to finish in 3hrs 41min.  Martin’s training had been going to plan up to a week before the race when disaster struck when he got an injury.  He still went to Dublin to take part in the marathon with the hope that he could get through the race ok.  He went well for most of the first half and was well on course to do sub 3hrs 10mins for the race but his leg gave up on him for the second half and he was even limping for some of it just to get to the finish.  He was disappointed with this race but still did an excellent time of 3hrs 45mins. 

30 SEP 2008

Two New Ironmen in the Club

Ironman UK was held recently in Dorset in South West England.  The majority of this gruelling race was held within the grounds of Sherborne Castle with the 2.4mile swim being held in the 50 acre lake and the 112mile bike and 26.2mile run around the estate and surrounding areas.  There were 2 laps on the swim with 3 laps on the bike and 2 laps on the run so it was great for the many spectators who had lined the course to cheer everyone on.  The bike course was very hilly with a tough wind to contend with.  The rain held off on the day but with so much surface water around from the previous few days rain the marathon course was particularly muddy as it was part on grass, gravel and muddy paths which resulted in the overall times being much slower than last year.

As many of the club were in Kenmare the same weekend and just heading to bed at 3am after celebrating completing their Half Ironman the same day, Noel Dillon and Tom Casey were just getting up to have their breakfast and prepare themselves for one the toughest days of the their lives.  There were loads of text messages going over and back the waters at this time to wish them luck. 

Tom and Noel along with Noel’s brother Liam who was also participating in the race had travelled over a few days previous in their camper vans.  They set up home right next to the race course so their race entourage which consisted of Tom’s wife Teena and the Dillon’s mother Betty had a great view of the race and could keep track of everyone going by all day.

As it was a 6am start and still dark and with over 1200 competitors entered, everyone had put their bike in the transition area the night before so that was one less thing to worry about.  Everyone was in a holding area together before the race start which was delayed a bit to allow the sun to rise so they could actually see where they were going.  The lake was cold and murky and the competitors had to swim over 200 meters to the swim start in the middle of the lake which was very hectic once the race started. 

Tom had a great swim to emerge after 1hr 20mins but was a bit disappointed that he had lost his watch in the water so would be unable to keep track of his time but he reckoned later that this was to his advantage.  Noel came out 1 minute behind in 1hr 21mins but had a much faster transition time than Tom so got out on the bike ahead of him.  Tom had also forgotten to bring any arm warmers or jacket for the bike so found it quite cold at first.  At this stage, with so many competitors, no-one really knows who’s ahead of whom and it was only on the latter part of the bike course, when Tom passed Noel that they knew where they were.   Even with their great swim times they were both in the latter half of the field but as they both had brilliant bike times with Tom completing the 112 miles in 6hrs 15mins and Noel in 6hrs 22mins they passed a few hundred competitors each to bring them well up the field.  There was “just” the marathon ahead of them then.   One of the other difficult things about competing in such a long distance race is food and hydration.  It can be hard to get it right as too much will result in pain and discomfort and too little may result in not finishing the race at all.  Thankfully there were no such worries for Tom or Noel and they both did a fantastic time for the 26.2mile run of 3hrs 45mins and 3hrs 59mins respectively and overtook a few more hundred competitors in the process. 

The final result is an Ironman with Tom finishing the race in 11hrs 35mins to come home 220^th overall and a fantastic 5^th in his age-group (50-55 which I hope he doesn’t mind me saying).  Noel was not far behind to finish 301^st in an amazing 11hrs 56mins.  He had some smile on his face as he ran up the red carpet to the finish line. 

Noel’s brother Liam also had a great race to finish in 13hrs 27mins.  We would also like to congratulate 3 other triathletes from the Waterford area who are in Carrick Triathlon Club who also put in a great performance in the Ironman, Vinnie Power who finished in 11hrs 49mins, Malachy McGlynn who finished in 12hrs 21mins and Donal Jacob who finished in 14hrs 51mins.

It is a very long day for athletes and spectators but everyone really enjoyed themselves and couldn’t stop smiling for days.  It was a great result by everyone and all their hard work and effort over the past few months paid off.  They can now get back to all those odd jobs around the house that have been put on the long finger.

Great Weather for Groomsport Half Ireman

The National Championships in Middle Distance Triathlon took place in Groomsport, Co. Down recently and attracted a large entry with a high standard.  They were very lucky with the weather as it was in the middle of our “Irish heatwave” and was one of the few races this year which had such great conditions.  There were 200 athletes on the day competing in this tough race which comprised a 1900m swim, 93k bike followed by a 21k run. There were 2 laps in the swim with athletes having to exit onto the beach between laps.  There was a huge swell in the water though so it made it very difficult with everyone suffering as a result with slower than anticipated times.  The bike course was pretty flat but it was quite windy so it was made quite tough which made the legs tired for the 21k run.

Stefan Green was our only competitor in the race as most of the club had competed in Kenmare the previous week over the same distance.  It was his 1^st time competing over this distance so it was going to be a challenge.  He had a great swim to exit 45^th out of the water but found the bike tough and the run especially difficult so lost a few places but still finished 71^st overall in an excellent time of 5hrs 54mins. 

Lough Key Triathlon

The previous weekend Stefan Green travelled to Lough Key triathlon in Roscommon for the 2^nd annual race in Lough Key Forest Park.  He was our only club competitor in this race which had over 240 competitors.  It was a Sprint distance race which entailed a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.  Stefan had a brilliant swim to emerge 10^th out of the water and after a great cycle and run finished a fantastic 11^th overall in 1hr 19mins. 

Blackwater Triathlon

Blackwater Triathlon Club held their 1^st race a few weeks ago with almost 260 competitors lining up in the river in Fermoy for their sprint distance race.  The swim was all downstream which made for fast times with the bike and run relatively flat.  Keith Radley emerged 31^st our of the water which put him a few minutes behind the leaders but he had a brilliant bike and run to bring him up to 10^th overall to finish in 1hr 05mins.  Next home was Michael Bowes who also overtook a lot of people on the bike and run to finish 25^th overall in 1hr 10mins.  Eleanor Carey only started doing Triathlons this year and she was delighted with her race to finish in 1hr 22mins.  Michael Carroll had major problems with cramping during the race and unfortunately had to retire.

Lough Rea Triathlon in Miserable Weather

Lough Rea Triathlon took place recently with over 300 competitors taking part.  This was a Sprint distance race with the swim being held in a lake which was lovely and clear.  The weather was cold and wet though so it made racing a bit miserable especially on the challenging bike and run course and some people got quite cold.  This was a problem which club member Michael Carroll had which started with a delay in the swim which resulted in people being in the water a long time and he found it difficult to get himself warm  He still had a great race though to finish in 1hr 39mins.

Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon

Last weekend many of the club were participating in their last race of the season, the Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon in Kenmare.  This race is always towards the end of the season and is a race in which a lot of people like to try to attempt after training and racing hard for the previous few months.  It’s a race that when mentioned will bring reverence and admiration as it involves a 1900m swim, 90k cycle over 3 tough mountains and a 21k run.  Many of us don’t actually do specific training for this distance race but just increase our mileage a little bit as the race draws closer. 

Most of us were staying together in rented houses in Kenmare so there was great excitement and slagging going on the night before and the morning of the race. There race started at 7am so we had to cycle down to the Transition area at 6am when it was still very dark.  It was funny to see some people cycling in their wetsuits!  We were very lucky to have the support of other non-racing club members in Olive O’Brien, Norma Goggin, Michael Carroll, Niamh Sullivan, John Lyons, Sean Roche and Olive Costello and other WAG’s Fiona, Una, Liz and Kate as they were up just as early as us and were running around after us helping us to get things organised and driving around the course to shout us on. 

There was 1 start to the race with almost 300 nervous competitors lining up in a very competitive field.  The swim out to the 1^st buoy was easy enough as it was in the sea and it was very calm but when we turned at the buoy we had to swim over towards where the river flows into the estuary so it was a lot more difficult as we had to swim against a strong current in fresh water which is not as buoyant and was very cold.  This was not such a problem for the stronger swimmers but the majority of us found it quite difficult and it felt as if we were getting nowhere.  Therefore everyone was in the water a lot longer than anticipated and some got quite cold.

Most people put on extra clothes and long sleeves when they were heading off on the bike as it was going to be cold especially at the start when you are still wet and cold after the swim. But as soon as you hit the 1^st climb the blood started to flow a bit faster.  There are 2 Cat 2 climbs on this cycle in the Healy pass and the Caha pass which are tough to ascend and almost as tough to descend as they are very technical and involve a lot of care and safety.  It was very windy in some places especially on a very exposed open road to Glengarriff and the Caha pass descent and was very dangerous with some people being blown across the road with strong gusts. 

It was almost a relief to get on to the run and most people picked their pace and hoped they could sustain if for the duration.  An important factor for the run is what you eat on the bike as too much of the wrong food or liquid and you will have stomach cramps.  The run is not too bad but is made tougher after the hilly cycle and a lot of people were suffering from cramps, dehydration and strained muscles.  As the swim was longer and tougher than usual and with the wind on the bike which made slower bike and run times everyone’s times were a lot slower than last year in all 3 disciplines. 

Shane Scadding was 1^st from the club across the line in 4hrs 48mins to finish 7^th overall, 1^st Vet.  Next home was Keith Radley who finished 10^th overall in 4hrs 51mins, 2^nd in his age-group.  Keith was one of the few people who actually cycled and ran on par with last year’s times which shows how much stronger he has become.  Alan Smith had a great swim to emerge 16^th out of the water and followed with a great bike and run to finish 18^th overall in 5hrs 02mins.  Davin Power also had a great swim but had a disaster on the bike when he and some others went the wrong way on the bike as there was no marshal or signs at the junction.  He realised his mistake but had lost up to 10 minutes which also lost him many places.  He had an excellent run to run faster than last year’s time and finished 25^th overall in 5hrs 9mins.  The ham sandwiches which he brought with him on the bike must have helped.  Michael Bowes only started doing Triathlons this year so didn’t know what to expect and was a bit nervous of getting through the distance.  He had a great race though to finish 49^th overall in 5hrs 26mins.  Martin Kirwan has been working hard on his swim for the past few months as it was his weakest discipline and it really showed as he was out of the swim in an excellent time and passed a lot of cyclists and runners to finish 55^th overall in 5hrs 29mins.  He also opted to bring some proper food in the form of turkey sandwiches on his cycle which he tucked into half way round and they clearly did the job.  Noel Ryan had a great swim and bike but suffered a bit on the run but still managed to run faster than last year’s time.  He finished in 5hrs 32mins.  PJ Tobin didn’t have a great swim but had a strong bike and ran 2mins faster than last year to finish in 5hrs 40mins. 

David Connolly (aka Dots) started his Triathlon career this year by doing an Olympic race as his first so he had the grit and determination to do this race.  He found the swim difficult but put in a great performance on the bike but this led to tired legs on the run.  He finished in 6hrs 37mins, an excellent result for only his 1^st year in Triathlon.  Next home was Brian Slattery who also only started doing Triathlons this year and up to a few months ago could barely swim.  Having only done 1 Olympic race to date he was going to be heading into new territory in terms of pain and stamina.  He found the swim long but was happy to get onto solid ground and had a great bike and run to finish in 7hrs 04mins.  A very happy man indeed!  Helen Whyte found the swim long and struggled against the current so was 1hr 20min in the water.  She was quite cold heading out on the bike with her teeth chattering for the first few miles.  She then missed a turn on the bike as there was no marshal so cycled in the wrong direction for a while which lost her about 10mins.  She warmed up pretty fast though when she realised her mistake and got a fright.  All this considered she had a great bike, to cycle faster than last years time but started to get cramps in her legs towards the end which stayed with her on the run.  By the end of the run she had cramps in all muscles in both legs was delighted to make it to the finish line in 7hrs 38mins. 

John Power had a great swim and bike but got really bad cramps in his legs on the run and had to walk.  He was almost at the finish when he decided that he wasn’t going to do himself any justice by walking so much so decided not carry on to the finish.  Liam Lowe also had a great swim but an old injury started to affect him on the bike and it became too painful so he too was forced to retire from the race. 

Everyone partied the night away and people who were limping after the race suddenly became agile again on the dance floor but had new aches and pains the next day.  It was a great weekend, for both athletes and spectators and we got lots of compliments on how great our support group from the club was who were shouting on everyone no matter where they were from.  It really made a difference on a lonely bike or run to have lots of people shouting encouragement. 

30 AUG 2008

Podium Finish in Carlingford Triathlon

Over 300 athletes participated in the Carlingford Triathlon which was held last weekend.  It was Olympic distance and it’s not a race that many of the club have travelled to before and one that none of the participating 7 members had competed in before.  We had heard that it was a nice flat course so that was a major enticement in going there especially for Norma Goggin who was attempting her 1^st Olympic distance race.  The 1500m swim consisted of 2 laps of a lovely flat sea swim except for a strong current that seemed to push a lot of people off course no matter how straight a line they swam for the buoy.  Even on the 2^nd lap when you were aware of the current it was still impossible to avoid heading off course.  The 40k bike was pretty flat and consisted of 2 out and back laps so you had and idea of who was ahead or behind you.  The 10k run was and an out and back route which was totally flat.  Again you could see how far ahead or behind you were when you got to the turnaround point. 

There was one mass start in the swim and Shane Scadding got a great start and was one of the leaders coming out of the swim and got on to the bike course in 2^nd place.  He maintained this place heading out on the run and had a big lead on the next competitor so finished in a comfortable 2^nd place overall in 1hr 56mins, his best time for this distance.  Davin Power emerged about 20^th out of the water but put in great bike and run times to bring him up to 10^th place overall in 2hrs 03mins, 3^rd in his age-group.  This is Davin’s 2^nd top 10 finish from his last 2 races and his best time for this distance.  Next home was Noel Ryan who emerged about 100^th out of the water but clawed his way up to 39^th place after the bike and run to finish in 2hrs 12mins, another personal best time for him.  (He almost picked up a prize for 2^nd overall female after a mix up with his entry and name Noelle..he might get away with it but needs a few adjustments).  PJ Tobin was under a bit of pressure before the race as it was his 1^st race this year and even though he has been training hard over the last few months, he was a bit apprehensive.  He need not have worried though as he had a great race to finish very comfortably in 2hrs 18mins, his best time over this distance.  Michael Moloney, who was only racing this distance for the 2^nd time had a great race to finish in 2hrs 22mins. 

Norma Goggin was very nervous before the start as this was her 1^st time attempting this distance especially in the swim as it would be her longest open water swim.  She was delighted to complete it in 41mins, saying it was her favourite swim all year.  All her long cycles and runs paid off as she finished in a brilliant time of 2hrs 59mins, being only the 2^nd female in the club to complete Olympic distance.  Helen Whyte had a terrible swim being one of those who were swept off course but really enjoyed the flat bike and run to finish in 3hrs 02mins, her best time yet for this distance. 

It was a lovely race and one of the flattest courses you will find both in the water and on land and a race which we will all be heading back to again next year.

The Sean Kelly Tour attracts huge crowd

Last Sunday we travelled to Dungarvan to participate in The Sean Kelly Cycling Tour.  Almost 2000 cycling enthusiasts signed up for this over the last few weeks with a choice of 3 distances to suit everyone.  It was an early start (especially after being at and participating in Spokes Triathlon the previous day) of 8.30am kickoff so no chance of a lie-in.  At least the weather had improved and it was a beautiful sight to see so many lined up at the start with the sun shining and the sea in the background.  Attempting the 160k cycle we had Shane Scadding, Davin Power, Noel Dillon, PJ Tobin, Noel Ryan, Tom Casey, Martin Kirwan, Dermot Power and Declan McGrath.  This would be the longest distance that most of these would ever have cycled apart from Tom and Noel Dillon as they are putting in long miles for their Ironman UK training (which will include 180k cycle followed by a marathon!).  Lining up for the 100k cycle we had Norma Goggin, Helen Whyte, Caroline Russell, Ann Hennebry, Michael Carroll, Michael Moloney, Colm Long, Alan Murphy and Annette O’Mahony (plus boyfriend Dave Quigley to keep them company and fix bike problems).  Norma, Ann, Alan and Michael Moloney had all done the Triathlon the day before so were feeling very energetic to turn up this morning.  Everyone started off together so it was quite slow for the 1^st few miles as everyone got into their groups and picked their pace and overtook others or got overtaken. 

1^st stop was in Carrick for water/fruit and stretch the legs.  The 160k cyclists had to double back and cycle up the dreaded Seskin hill here but thankfully the 100k cyclists did not. Then it was on to Clonmel where we got to stop for a while and have tea and sandwiches.  Just a few miles away from Clonmel disaster struck Caroline when her chain got wedged and needed more than the helping hand of Dave Quigley and Ned Power to free it.  The rest of her group cycled off and left her (under strict instructions) but she was lucky that World Wide Cycles were driving around to offer bike services as they had to tools to fix it.  She had an offer of a lift to Clonmel to catch the rest of her group but declined and instead cycled like a bat out of hell to catch them up which she did just as they were sitting down to tea.  Fair play, many others would have taken the lift!  We cycled non stop then to the finish in Dungarvan being unlucky to get one small shower of rain towards the finish.

The 160k cyclists did the same route as the 100k cyclists as far as Ballymacarbry but then turned off to Rathgormac and the Nire Valley and up Cateegory 1 climb Mahon Falls with over 400m altitude.  There was one unscheduled stop however when Noel Dillon got a puncture.  It was suggested that he may have been eating too much food for the pressure in this tyres but he got it mended easily.  The final tough climb was at Mauma where the tired legs began be weaken and some cyclists were seen walking at this stage.  Shane, in a rare moment of tiredness found this tough and got overtaken by his clubmates and it was all he could do to hang on the back wheel of Noel Dillon (who is still delighted with this fact!).  As we were enjoying more tea and sandwiches at the finish it was easy to see who had done the longer cycle by the way they walked and the look on their faces.  It was a brilliant day and very well organised and we even managed to get our photo taken with the man himself Sean Kelly.

Painful lesson in Dublin City Triathlon

The previous weekend Keith Radley was our only competitor in the Dublin City Triathlon.  With the heavy rains which had fallen recently there was doubt over whether the swim would take place but it was decided on the day to shorten it to about 1200m.  It was an 8am start to the race with 6 starts based on estimated swim times with over 400 competitors taking part.  The fastest way to do the swim was to swim in the middle off the current on the downstream part and to swim in by the edge of the bank in the slower moving water for the upstream part.  A bit murky!  The 40k bike was in the Phoenix Park which involved 4 laps being very technical and fast.  You had to be very careful as there were a lot of bikes on the course at some stages.  The 10k run was shortened to 9k and was cross country which was a nice change from the hard road.

Keith had a great start and was happy with his swim time and put in a great performance on the bike.  The only problem was he hadn’t been paying attention to the race briefing and thought he had 6 laps to do instead of 5 so ended up cycling an extra lap.  He didn’t realise this at the time and carried on to have a brilliant run posting the 12^th fastest time on the day.  It was only after he finished the race that he found out his mistake so his overall time of 2hrs 14mins didn’t really reflect his great race.  It was a painful lesson learned but a long way to go and a lot of trouble to learn it.

Large Entry for Tramore Metal Man Triathlon

Last weekend we didn’t have too far to travel to compete in a race as there was one right on our doorstep in Tramore.  The weather was against us again but by now everyone has planned for it dresses appropriately.  Over 300 eager athletes turned up to race on a day that was getting progressively worse as time went by.  We had 19 club members taking part with a few of them new to the sport with only 1 or 2 races under their belt.  There were 2 starts with the male under 40 first followed 10mins later by everyone else.  The sea was quite rough and it was feared that the swim might be cancelled altogether but after consultation with the coastguard it was deemed safe.  It was shortened slightly but even so, many found it very tough especially at the start as it was very difficult to get out past the waves.  There was a strong current driving many off course so you had to keep an eye on where you were going.  The 20k cycle was an out and back course which involved negotiating many roundabouts so care had to be taken as it was quite slippery and dangerous with the rain.  The 5k run started off up and down the prom and then progressed down the beach and back up the backstrand to the finish. The weather had worsened by this stage and you could feel the full extent of the wind and rain on the exposed beach.  All this considered, everyone had a great race and really enjoyed themselves. It was also a lovely race for spectators to watch as you got to see everyone quite a few times throughout the race.

From the club, old rivals Michael Bowes and Michael Moloney both exited out of transition after the swim at the same time and (I’m not sure what went on but) they both returned from the cycle at the same time having some the fastest cycles of the day and ran out onto the run together. Michael Bowes had the faster legs though and finished 12^th overall in 1.04.25 with Michael Moloney coming home 28^th in 1.06.52.  Colin Fanning, who only started racing recently had a great race to finish 33^rd in 1.07.39.  Alan Murphy was next home in 1.09.24 followed closely by one of our Junior members Louis O’Carroll in 1.09.32.  Brian Slattery was hot on their heels but ran out of time to catch them and finished in 1.09.57.  Another newbie to the sport Gavin Quinlan was next home in a brilliant time of 1.12.21 with Eric Pinqui not far behind in 1.14.69 and Derek Barrett close behind in 1.15.29.

There was huge competition between the next 2 home of John Carew and David Forristal.  John led out of the swim but David managed to claw his way back up to him by having a much faster transition and run and almost passed him on the home straight but for John being alerted to the danger and put his foot down.  They finished 1 second apart in 1.18.51 and 1.18.51 respectively.  Eleanor Carey was the 1^st of our females home, competing in only her 2^nd race, to finish in 1.20.46.  Ann Hennebry was not far behind in 1.21.22 picking up a prize for 1^st female Vet.  Conor Purcell was next home in 1.21.34 with Norma Goggin not far behind in 1.21.57.  Paul Jaques, another one of our Junior members has been training hard for this day as it was his 1^st Triathlon and he was delighted with his time of 1.24.00.  Sean Roche is having a great 1^st year also and was next home in 1.26.52.  Kat Whyte had a small injury before the race and was only going to do the swim but felt a compulsion to carry on as she was enjoying herself so much so she was delighted to finish in 1.32.15.  Well done to the organisers for a great race. 

We also had many club members helping to marshal on the day with Shane, Davin, Michael Carroll, John Power, Alan Smith, Helen, Tom, Teena, Stefan, Mark and Dots all giving up their time in the dismal weather but really enjoyed watching for a change!

Atrocious Weather for Lough Neagh Triathlon

Last weekend we travelled to the North of Ireland to take part in on Olympic distance race in Lough Neagh.  We woke early morning to the sound of torrential rain and our hopes that it would abate by the start of the race were dashed as there was no respite.  Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte had stayed in the campsite at the race site in their campervan the night before so were joined by Davin Power and Niamh Sullivan on race morning.  Former clubmate Ian McNulty, who is now wearing the Cork colours, squeezed in also and was give some porridge to boost his energy.  It was lovely and cosy drinking tea and almost forgetting that we would have to venture out into the weather at some stage.  Even though the swim was in the lake it resembled the west of Ireland in winter with high waves and rough waters.  There were rumours that the swim would be cancelled but eventually it was decided that we would do 3 short laps in the sheltered marina instead of the planned one large lap into the open lake.  There was panic before race start as Shane realised his gears were not working on his bike.  Niamh ran around in the rain and eventually located a set of pliers but to no avail.  He had to put it in a set gear and leave it there for the duration of the race.

With the 3 laps in the swim and nearly 300 competitors, it got pretty hectic as some the slower swimmers got lapped and overlapped! Helen spent most of the swim kicking hard and using her elbows to ward off the stronger swimmers who were coming at her from behind on their next lap. The 40k bike course consisted of 4 laps with the strong wind with you on the uphills but against you on the downhills.  The wind and rain hitting your bare skin with such force was quite cold and painful.  It was a relief to get onto the run but a large flood awaited us here which we had to run through 8 times on the 4 lap out and back course.

Shane emerged 14^th out of the swim and despite his bike troubles, had the 3^rd fastest bike split which brought him up to 3^rd heading out on the 10k run.  His legs were not as good as others though as he lost 2 places to finish 5^th overall in 2hrs 05mins to finish 1^st in his age-group.  Davin Power had an excellent race to emerge 30^th out of the water but his brilliant bike which was 7^th fastest on the day enabled him to overtake many.  He eventually finished 9^th overall in 2hrs 10mins, 2^nd in his age-group.

When Helen came out of the swim to be greeted by torrential rain she really had to talk herself into getting on the bike and continuing with the race.  She found it very cold on the bike and looked forward to the hills to warm herself up a bit.  She had a disastrous run though as her feet slipped around in her wet runners with no socks on and cut her heels.  She had to run back to the campervan half way through the run to put on some socks as the pain was unbearable.  She crossed the line in 3hrs 12mins and was delighted with the race as it was an achievement and a challenge to participate and finish in one of the worst conditions ever for a race.

Caroline Kearney Memorial Triathlon

The previous weekend we travelled to Mullingar for the Caroline Kearney memorial Triathlon with over 300 competitors.  This Olympic distance race is held in memory of Caroline who was Ireland’s top female triathlete and who was tragically knocked off her bike and killed during a training session in France 2 years ago.  There was very heavy rain before the race and again straight after the race but someone must have been looking down on us as it cleared up for the duration of the race.  The 1500m swim was in the lovely Lough Ennell and consisted of 2 laps where you could see the bottom of the lake most of the way around.  The bike was 43k and was 2 laps of pretty flat roads with the 10k run also being totally flat. 

Shane Scadding was competing in this race for the 1^st time so wasn’t sure what to expect.  He emerged 17^th out of the water but after his usual fast bike time he clawed his way up the field and finished 5^th overall in 2hrs 10mins, 1^st in his age-group.  Tom Casey, who’s main focus at the moment is the UK Ironman in a few weeks, had a great race to finish 47^th overall in 2hrs 28mins, 3^rd in his age-group.  Helen Whyte enjoyed the swim (as she didn’t get lapped and swam over!) but felt she couldn’t get going properly on the bike.  She managed to pass quite a few on the run though to finish in 3hrs 17mins.

Great Results at Mourne Triathlon

Three members of the club made the long journey to Co. Down last week to compete in the Mourne Triathlon in Castlewellan forest park.  This is one of the most beautiful settings in Ireland for a Triathlon with the 1500m swim being held in the pristine Castlewellan lake followed by the 40k bike course which was on closed roads.  The 10k run consisted of 2 laps around the lake through the forest so it makes for a lovely running surface.  There was only one start to the race with over 350 athletes lining up in the lake so it was quite hectic especially if you happened to be in the wrong place where you are likely to get kicked, punched, squashed, swam over and much more.  Keith Radley who has improved his swim greatly recently emerged 69^th out of the water but had a great bike and even better run to crawl his way up to 15^th place overall to finish in 2.12.36. This was an improvement of over 15 mins on last year’s time taking minutes off each discipline.  Noel Ryan emerged 128^th out of the water thrashing last years swim time by over 7 mins.  He had an excellent bike and run to bring him up to 58^th overall in 2.22.48 beating last year’s time by 10mins.  Noel Dillon came home next to finish in 2.29.29 also managing to beat last year’s time by over 2mins.  This was a great achievement by all 3 and shows that all their training is paying off.

Comeragh Cycle League comes to an end

The Comeragh Cycle club held their annual cycle league and it finished recently.  It ran over 10 weeks with over 120 riders taking part in total with cyclists coming from many of the local cycle clubs.  Many of our club members took part in this which is great training as the pace is usually quite fast and the aim is to keep in with your group for as long as possible and maybe have something left in your legs at the end to cross the line ahead of everyone else around you.  This year there were a few female cyclists which made a nice addition to the usually male dominated sport.  Martin Mitzgajski who has been doing triathlons for years is concentrating on cycling for the past year.  This clearly showed by the great performances he put in every week and managed to finish 2^nd overall in the League.  A brilliant result especially against strong cyclists with many years experience.  Shane Scadding and Davin Power both put in very strong performances each week trying to get away from the other cyclists and making many breaks.  They both finished in the main bunch each week with a few top 10 finishes between them.  Colin Fanning also cycled well each week and had a top 10 finish.  Shane finished 3^rd vet in the league.  It was a great 10 weeks which will leave a void in the cycle training schedule for a while.

Beast of the East Triathlon

Two weeks ago Wicklow Tri Club held their inaugural Olympic race in the Wicklow mountains with the swim in Lough Dan.  It was frighteningly named Beast of the East and was billed to be tougher than Kilkee (Hell of the West) which is known to be the toughest race on the calendar. Two Club members, Noel Ryan and Brian Slattery decided to take the plunge and see what all the fuss was about.  It was a very early start so muscles were barely awake when they were put to the test.  The lake was quite chilly and the wind made it quite choppy but it wasn’t long before you hit some pretty tough hills on the bike which warmed you up.  There was also a steep hill on the start of the run but that meant a nice downhill finish.  Noel had an amazing race to emerge 34th out of the water but his strong bike and run saw him pass many and he finished 10^th overall in 2.37.52.  Brian, who only started doing Triathlons this year was making this race his 1^st Olympic.  The part he was most nervous about was the swim which he did find difficult but was delighted to have completed the distance.  He felt happy once he got on solid ground and finished in a great time of 3.20.53.  Great results for such a difficult race.

Head to Head in Galway Triathlon

The same weekend, old race adversaries Noel Dillon and Tom Casey travelled to Carna in Galway to take part in the Olympic distance race being held.  The sea here is always lovely and warm and was quite calm for a change.  Almost 200 competitors competed in this race with the 45k cycle being pretty tough as it’s quite exposed with the 10k run being equally tough.   Swimming would not be the strongest point for either Noel or Tom as they both emerged quite far behind the leaders with Noel having a few min. advantage over Tom.  Tom gained a bit of time on Noel on the bike as was not far behind him heading out on the run.  Noel had a great run but Tom had slightly better legs and passed him with about 2k to go to finish 2^nd Vet, 20^th overall in 2.31.17 with Noel coming home 21^st in 2.31.53.  A great battle and one which will resume at the next race.

Kinsale “King of the Hill”

Last weekend we travelled to Kinsale for their annual Sprint Triathlon.  Despite entry to this race being more difficult than winning the lotto, 8 of the club managed to persevere when it opened online a few months ago to be the lucky ones.  As it was a previous night registration only, most of us stayed down for the whole weekend and “bonded”.  Race morning was very foggy at first but it didn’t take long to burn off so the sun screen was applied liberally. Almost 250 athletes lined up with 2 starts to the race split according to age and gender.  The water was quite warm and calm and was one of the nicest swims to far this year.  Shane Scadding had a great swim to emerge 6^th out of the water.  He battled his way up to 3^rd on the bike at one stage but started out on the hilly run in 4^th place.  He remained in this position to finish 4^th overall in 1.04.12.  A brilliantly fought race but as he cycled across the white line on the bike course at one stage he got disqualified for breaking the rules of the road.  A disappointment but a lesson learned! Next home was Noel Ryan who has much improved from last year.  His swim is his weakest but he made up many places on the bike and run to finish 22^nd overall in 1.12.19.  Liam Lowe was next home in 1.24.28.  Michael Carroll had a fantastic race to finish next in 1.30.55.  The training in Portlaw woods has definitely stood to him as he had a great run on a nasty hill that most people walked on.  Not far behind was David Forristal who was a bit apprehensive as he has not done as much training as he would have liked.  He was happy with his finish time of 1.31.10.  John Carew was trying his best to catch David but could not make any ground on him on the run so finished just behind in 1.32.10.  Norma Goggin is really getting used to swimming now and was delighted with her race to come home next in 1.34.04.  Next home were Olive O’Brien and Helen Whyte in 1.36.19.  Olive had a great swim but did not have her usual strong bike so Helen caught her just at the end of the bike course.  They ran (and walked the hill) together and were just sprinting towards the finish when Olive decided to stop 50m from the finish to tie her lace.  She was shouted at and almost dragged over the finish line by Helen who could see competitors behind catching up.  A great race one we will be sitting patiently by the computer to enter again next year.

Podium Finish in Salmon Run Triathlon

Last week some of the Club made the arduous journey to Ballina where the Salmon Run sprint Triathlon was taking place which is part of the National Series.  If only the Athlone by-pass had opened a few days earlier the return trip would not have taken most of the weekend but it was worth if for such a great race. We were blessed with the weather as it was probably the best weather we have had for a race so far this year.  There were about 300 participants taking part with the race split into 2 starts according to age and gender.  The 750m swim was down the river Moy, very famous for it’s salmon fishing.  Jack Charlton was spotted fishing there earlier in the morning.  Some of the 20k cycle course had to be changed at only a few hours short notice due to road works so the surface of the alternative route was not great in places and it was quite narrow and bendy in places.  It was an out and back course which is great for spotting who is ahead and behind you. The 5k run was pretty flat and mostly though a wooded area which was great.  It was an afternoon start so we all got a bit of a lie in and still had plenty of time to prepare for the race. 

Shane Scadding, Noel Dillon and Brian Slattery were all in the 1^st start.  The water wasn’t too cold for a river and if you stayed to the middle of the water you had a great advantage of the strong current.  Shane emerged 4^th out of the swim and made his way up the 2^nd place on the bike but got overtaken towards the end of it but he was delighted to finish 3^rd overall in 1.00.02. He also picked up a prize for 1^st in his age-group.  Noel Dillon had a great swim and was going strong on the bike when a loud bang signified a puncture which put an end to his race.  This was very bad luck as he had only mended 2 punctures which he received 2 nights previous.  He was getting a lift back from the ambulance when they came across a fallen cyclist so he was “turfed out” and had to walk back the few miles.  Brian Slattery is enjoying his 1^st year racing and was delighted with his finish time of 1.17.02.  Helen Whyte also had a great race posting her fastest Sprint time of 1.21.39.

31 JULY 2008

Youghal Triathlon attracts Large Entry

Meanwhile, in Youghal, their annual Triathlon took place which attracted almost 250 competitors which is the largest field they have ever had.   There was a great atmosphere around before the race with some very nervous first-timers.  It was a mass start with everyone off together which caused a few problems for those who got stuck in a bunch in the wrong place.  Alan Smith had his usual great swim to come out within seconds of the leaders.  Keith Radley was not far behind though and overtook Alan on the bike.  It was very close on the run but Keith managed to hold Alan off to finish 7^th overall in 1.08.05 with Alan home just behind in 1.08.39 in 8^th place and winning 2^nd in his age-group.  Michael Moloney is having a great 1^st year with his cycle being the best of the 3 disciplines.  He finished 40^th overall in 1.15.32.  Derek Barrett only recently started doing Triathlon also and he had an excellent swim which resulted in him finishing in 1.21.08.  He was under pressure to be home for a family Christening so had to race as fast as possible.  Next home was John Power who got a fright when he heard that Olive O’Brien was just behind him trying to run him down.  Olive had the 2^nd fastest bike split of all the females and faster than many of the males so had made up lots of time.   She was shouting at him that she was coming and he found strength from deep down to sprint for the finish ahead of her to finish in 1.24.27 with Olive on his heels at 1.24.35.  Michael Carroll was next home having had a great bike and run to finish in 1.31.34.  Next home was Norma Goggin who was delighted with her swim as she felt very comfortable in the water.  She won 1^st prize in her age-group to finish in 1.34.10.  Sean Roche has been training for this day since first seeing a Triathlon last year.  He has spent the winter months running, cycling and swimming and today was his debut.  The swim was his weakest but he made up places on the bike and run to finish a very happy man in 1.43.13.  It was a great race which everyone really enjoyed.

National Sprint Champs at Athlone Triathlon

The same weekend saw almost 900 athletes take part in the National Sprint Championships in Athlone with 5 starts to the race based on estimated swim times.  The 750m swim involved swimming down and up the river with the 20k bike route on closed roads which made for very fast times.  Transition times were very long as there were so many bikes for everyone to run around.  The 5k run involved running 2 and half laps around the town but many people misunderstood the lap numbers and failed to complete the last lap.  Colin Fanning, who is in this 1^st year of Triathlons, was almost one of these but he ran back out on the course when he realised his mistake and finished the race in 1.23.41.  Annette O’Mahony was delighted with her race to finish in 1.51.37.

Great results at Carrick Triathlon

Last weekend we didn’t have far to travel to participate in a race as Carrick-on-Suir Tri club were hosting their 14^th Annual Triathlon in Carrick with almost 400 competitors taking part with some very top class athletes from all over Ireland including Gavin Noble who is Irelands No. 1 and ranked high in Europe at the moment.  Despite the weather conditions 27 members of the club made their way to Carrick.  We had only arrived when a huge heavy shower of rain fell which lasted for over 20mins so we all just sat in our cars and wondered why we had gotten out of bed so early for another wet miserable race.  Once the rain cleared the sun came out but the damage was done to the transition area by then as it was in a grass area.  It had turned into a water logged swamp.  We were all jumping over puddles of water while trying to get our bikes and bits set up for the race.  It was almost a relief to get into our wetsuits so then at least we could walk and splash around in our bare feet and not worry about getting our shoes and clothes dirty. 

There were 3 starts to the main race followed by a shorter try-athlon for some new to the sport athletes who are a bit apprehensive about the swim.  Athletes were broken into the different starts by their estimated swim time with fastest first and slowest last. The river was very swollen and fast moving from all the rain so as soon as people entered the water it was hard to stop flowing down the river so each wave started very fast.  So fast that some people who were sauntering up to start and watching all the other swimmers go by and having a good chat about them all, missed their own start and were at a disadvantage getting into the water late.  Most of the female club members were guilty of this and have learned a valuable lesson for future races! 

Once out of the water, which turned out to be a very fast swim for everyone, it was time to grab your bike and proceed on to the 20k bike course.  Once back, we then headed out the main road and back along the river bank for the 6k run.  It was a bit like doing a cross country run at stages as the river path was flooded.  After a while you just gave up trying to keep your feet dry and just jumped right into the puddle like a child and enjoyed the bit of nostalgia. 

As there were 3 starts to the race with 5 minutes separating each one, no-one knew where they were placed until the results were announced.  Shane Scadding had a great race to post the fastest bike time of the day and was 1^st of the club home to finish in 5^th place overall in 59.03mins, 1^st Vet overall.  Davin Power was next home after a fantastic race to finish in 10^th place in 1hr 04secs.  This was a pb for both triathletes over this distance.  Next home was Alan Smith who had one of the fastest swim times to finish in 31^st place in 1.02.33.  Noel Dillon was next home in 46^th place in 1.05.06 with his adversary Tom Casey not far behind in 54^th place in1.05.31.  Michael Bowes is having a great 1^st year coming home in 62^nd place in 1.06.07 with Martin Kirwan close behind in 1.07.18.  Stefan Green and Michael Moloney are both new to the sport this year and had great races to finish in 1.09.29 and 1.10.08 respectively.  Colm Long had one of the fastest swims in the club and finished in 1.11.17 with John Brennan not far behind in 1.12.07.  Louis O’Carroll was competing as a Junior and had a brilliant race to finish in 1.13.21.  Eric Pinaqui was next home in 1.15.12 with new-comer Derek Barrett delighted with his time of 1.15.50 home next.  John Power was making his come-back with style as he finished in 1.16.40 with new-comer Gavin Quinlan crossing the line in 1.17.39.  Brian Slattery was competing in only his 2^nd race and, after a panic attack in Transition where he couldn’t find his bike and was running around in circles like a headless chicken, he was delighted with his time of 1.17.58.  Brian Russell is also having a great first year as he finished in 1.18.39.  There was a bit of competition among the girls in the club which had a very close outcome with only 30 seconds separating the 1^st four.  Ann Hennebry was competing in her 1^st race this year and had a brilliant swim to get a good headstart and also had a great run to ensure she finished in 1.21.45.  Olive O’Brien was also doing her 1^st race this year and was next home having the fastest cycle of the female club members to finish in 1.21.49.  Helen Whyte has the honour of having the slowest transition time of the club (due to chatting to her sister and laughing at Brian looking for his bike) but was delighted with her finish time of 1.22.15.  Norma Goggin was quite apprehensive about the river swim and it was a bit of a panic at the end trying to swim against the current to the exit but was very happy with her overall time of 1.22.19.  Kat Whyte has been training hard for this day for months as it was her debut race and she really enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the day before, after and during the race where she thought everyone, competitors and spectators, were so supportive to everyone.  She had a great race and did much better than she anticipated when she finished in 1.27.33.  She gave her big sister a shock to finish so close behind her!  Tracy Pollard was next home 1.28.35 with Annette O’Mahony next to finish in 1.31.46.

We had 1 team competing which consisted of the partnership of Ned Power and Caroline Russell.  Ned did the swim and then handed the reigns over to Caroline who had the tougher job of the cycle and run. They put in a great combined effort to finish in 1.26.49.

Everyone was delighted with the race and really enjoyed the day.  Olive O’Brien had a bit of moment when she put her helmet on after the race to bring it back to the car.  When she took it off again, there were some slimy slugs on her head who had made a temporary home in her helmet while she was racing. Her cries could be heard for miles!  Thanks to the Carrick Triathlon Club for a great race. 

30 JUNE 2008

Hell of the West lives up to it’s Name

It was another typical weekend in Irish weather last weekend for the Hell of the West Triathlon in Kilkee. We went from being washed away in Dunmore East the previous weekend to being blown away in Kilkee. This is one of the most popular races on the calendar and traditionally fills up in a matter of minutes with most of the top names in Irish Triathlon taking part.  It is also the toughest Olympic distance race on the calendar with the rough sea, exposed undulating terrain and uncertain weather conditions. With all these in mind, it was great to see almost 600 competitors putting on their wetsuits and making their way to the start of the swim. 

There were 2 starts with men 25-39 in the first start and everyone else in the 2^nd start 10mins later.  The water was quite warm in comparison to our usual swims in Dunmore East so that was a bonus.  But that was the only positive thing about the swim!  It was 1500m of rough swells and strong waves.  The more we got out into the open water the rougher it got.  You had to stop in the water to sight the buoys as the swells were so high at times.  Other times you were pulling air as the water below you disappeared as the wave you were on collapsed.  Many found it too tough and got taken out into the waiting rescue boats.

When we emerged from the water (eventually!), we had a 45k cycle ahead of us. The first 20k was quite nice with a tail wind behind us but as soon as you turned to come back to transition it was a different story.  25k of a headwind.  You almost came to a standstill on the down-hills at some stages.  The run was just as tough with a 10k out and back hilly course.  We were running up the hill into the wind for the 1^st half, the only enjoyable part of the race being the last 5k downhill with the wind behind us.  Apart from the finish that is.  As soon as we crossed the finish line we were all delighted that we had completed one of the most difficult races ever in Kilkee and in the history of Triathlon in Ireland. 

We had 8 club members taking part, some for the 1^st time and others back for more hardship.  Shane Scadding traditionally does well in this race as he tough course suits him.  He started in the 2^nd wave so was 10 minutes behind the leaders from the start.  He emerged from the swim in a good position and made his way on to the bike course in good time.  He was hampered a little by some of the slower swimmers and cyclists in the previous start who were now on the course in front of him so he had to do lots of shouting and weaving to get past them.  He made up good time on the bike having one of the fastest bike splits.  He also had a great run and finished in 16^th place but when the times were adjusted and 10 min. taken off he had finished 6^th overall in 2.17.18 only missing out in 5^th place by 8 seconds.  He was also 1^st vet home.  All the competitors who finished ahead of him had started in the 1^st wave so it was hard to judge how well he was going against them.  Next home was Alan Smith who had a great swim to be out within seconds of the best swimmers. He found the bike tough but had a great run to finish 43^rd overall in 2.32.26.  Next home was Keith Radley who was competing in this race for the 1^st time.  He was a bit apprehensive about the swim as he would not consider himself a good swimmer but he must be doing some secret training somewhere because he had a brilliant swim especially in the rough conditions to be out in 26mins.  All Keith’s hard training on the bike paid off as he did a great time but he suffered a bit on the run and had to stop to stretch a few times.  He still had a great race to finish 49^th overall in 2.34.54. 

Tom Casey was next home having also started in the 2^nd start, looking well in his pink hat. His swim would be his weakest of the 3 disciplines but when he emerged from the water he passed plenty on the bike both from his own start and the previous start.  He chain came off at one stage and he lost about 20secs fixing it.  He finished strong in 59^th place in 2.37.47 to finish 2^nd in his age-group only missing out on 1^st by 15 secs.  Only for that chain coming off…. He still had enough energy left to cycle 80 miles home from Limerick the next day.  There’s no such thing as an easy day when you are training for an upcoming Ironman!  Noel Ryan was next home having had a much better swim than expected as he took 5mins off last years swim time which was in much calmer waters. He was delighted with his finish time of 2.39.55.  Noel Dillon was home next in 2.42.13.  His main rival was his brother Liam from 3Rock club.  Noel passed him on the bike with a smile and stayed ahead of him to finish a comfortable 2mins ahead of him overall.

Martin Kirwan who was doing this race for the 1^st time was next to finish.  He lost a lot of time in the swim as it is still the thing he needs to improve a lot on but he made up a lot of places on the bike and run to finish in 2.56.50.  This is only his 2^nd year doing Triathlons so he is improving and learning with every race.  Helen Whyte was delighted to get through the swim to finish the race.  She could see people getting rescued all round her in the waters but she persevered and got there eventually.  She was escorted by about 5 kayakers for the last part of the swim.  She found the cycle quite tough on the return leg and glad to get onto the run.  Overall she was delighted with her finish time of 3hrs 48min.

Podium finishes and PB’s in Try Athy National Championships

Last weekend members of the club travelled to Athy to compete in either the Sprint distance or National Championships Olympic distance races which were being held there.  This is the 2^nd year of this race which has seen the number of entries grow to almost 1300 competitors.  The race attracted some elite competitors with a few current and former world Triathlon champions starting with everyone else which made for great viewing for the athletes and spectators.  It is claimed to be the fastest Triathlon in the county as the swim is mostly with the current and the cycle and run are pretty flat. We set up camp in a car park near the start of the race and had a really relaxed atmosphere with some of the lads sitting out in deck chairs to have their breakfast.  The WAG’s, Olive Costello and Tina Casey, who were in their campervans, spent the morning running around after everyone making coffee and porridge and collecting discarded shoes and clothes from the race. 

There were 12 starts to the races with the fast swimmers in the Olympic race going first and working down to the slow swimmers in the Sprint race so it was only after everyone was finished and times were adjusted that people knew where they finished overall.  The Olympic race consisted of an 1100m downhill swim with a final 400m against the current.  The elites really showed their strength when they emerged out of the water in superb times.  The 40k cycle involved a 2 lap course which got a little bit crowded towards the end when all the different starts made their way on to the course.  The run was pretty scenic by the river for some but it got very hot and there was not much of a breeze to cool you down. 

Shane Scadding had a brilliant race to finish 15^th overall in 2.01.05 mins, a personal best for this distance.  He also finished 1^st vet overall and was up on the podium to receive his prize.  Davin Power also had a great race to finish 28^th overall in a pb time of 2.05.50.  Next home was Noel Ryan who finished in 2.15.50 which far outstripped his previous best time.  Tom Casey was not far behind in 2.16.58. His makeshift tri bar pads of colourful woolly socks didn’t hinder his performance.  Michael Bowes, who was racing this distance for the 1^st time and only his 2^nd ever race did a brilliant time of 2.22.46. He nearly didn’t get home that evening after he flattened his car battery by leaving his lights on but managed to get it sorted out.  Michael Moloney, who only did his 1^st ever race the previous week, was also racing this distance for the 1^st time, did an excellent time of 2.23.22.

Martin Kirwan, who is still trying to improve on his swim, had it all to do on the bike and run which he did and finished in a great time of 2.29.22, a pb for this distance.  New members Mark Power and David Connolly had never done a race before and decided to enter the world of triathlons with a bang and go for the Olympic distance race straight away.  They were a little bit nervous, mainly of the swim, even though they come from a rowing background but it was the perfect race to do a long swim in.  Mark had a great race to finish in 2.32.46.  David (aka Dots) felt a little light headed after coming out of the swim and missed his hold on the barrier in transition and fell to the ground.  He decided to stay safely on his back on the ground to take off his wetsuit before heading out on the bike where he made a full recovery to finish the race in 2.39.29.  Colm Long had an excellent swim but disaster struck on the bike when he got a puncture.  He made his way to a marshal and borrowed a spare tube but that also punctured so he had to change it a 2^nd time.  At this stage most people would have given up but Colm decided to persevere and finish the race even though he had lost lots of time and came home in 2.53.38.

In the Sprint race, Keith Radley’s training paid off as he had a brilliant race to finish 2^nd overall. Helen Whyte was delighted with her cycle and was next home in 2.28.26.  Michael Carroll had a much better swim than he expected and finished in 1.29.11.  Norma Goggin was thrilled with her swim as it would be the weakest of the 3 disciplines and had a great race to finish in 1.30.10.

24 MAY 2008

Tough Swim in Bonmahon Triathlon

Last weekend over 130 athletes turned out in Bonmahon for the annual John Collins Memorial Triathlon. It was a sunny day but quite windy so we knew we would have a tough race at some stage.  We had a few new members who were doing a Triathlon for the first time so there was a great sense of anticipation and just a little nervousness.  As we walked down to the beach to the swim start the sea looked very enticing and some people were really looking forward to having a shorter than normal swim.  The swim involved swimming out about 100m to the start and then once the race started, to swim parallel to the beach for 400m to emerge at the finish.  The sea looked deceivingly calm before we got in because as soon as we started to swim large waves and swells appeared out of nowhere and everyone, especially the weaker swimmers found it very difficult.  A few swimmers decided not to carry on as it was too rough for them...

The cycle consisted of a 16k out and back route which had the wind against us on the outward leg, made all the more difficult with the few sharp hills on the course, but made for a fast return.  The 6k run involved running up a gradual hill for the first half of it so it felt like you didn’t get a chance to get a good breath into you until you got the top and could run downhill.

Keith Radley had a great swim, considering it is his weakest of the 3 disciplines and together with a fast bike and run enabled him to pick up a prize for 5th overall in 1hr 1min.  Alan Smith was next home in a great time of 1hr 4mins to finish 8th overall.  Noel Ryan, wearing the club colours for the first time, was feeling inspired and finished 17th overall in 1hr 7mins.  Martin Kirwan, who is still pretty new to Triathlons had a great race to finish 22nd overall in 1hr 11mins.  Michael Moloney was participating in a Triathlon for the 1st time which you would never know as he finished 27th overall in 1hr 14mins.  Maria Griffin, who hasn’t been doing as much training on the bike and swim as she would like, had a brilliant race to finish 3rd female in 1hr 16mins.  New club member Derek Barrett who was also racing for the 1st time was delighted with his race to come home in 1hr 22mins. 

Brian Slattery was both looking forward to this day and dreading it at the same time.  He was a bit green emerging from the swim as it was a bit rougher than he had hoped but he made up for it on the bike and run to finish his first triathlon in 1hr 23mins.  Before the race, Norma Goggin was very excited about the prospect of a nice short swim as it wouldn’t be her favourite discipline, but was in for a shock when she got into the water.  She put in a great effort though and made up time on the bike and run to finish 1st female Vet in 1hr 35mins.  Helen Whyte’s race preparations went a bit wrong before the race as she brought the wrong cycle shoes and had to do the cycle in her runners.  It was a relief to get on the bike after the swim which she found very difficult.  Fiona Doolin, who only went into serious training a few weeks ago was delighted with her race and both she and Helen ran and chatted their way through the latter part of the run to finish together in 1hr 41mins.  Tracy Pollard didn’t like the swim at all but persevered to have a great race and finish in 1hr 54mins.  Liam Lowe was unfortunate on the bike to crash off going round a bend and dislocate his shoulder.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

Even though the swim was tough, everyone really enjoyed the race especially the tea, sandwiches and buns provided by the organisers after the race which was very much appreciated.  It was a great race, and well done to all the marshals and organisers. 

First Outdoor Swim Triathlon Race of Season

Last weekend the 1st sea swim this year took place in Valentia Island with almost 300 competitors braving the cold waters.  This race usually takes place a few weeks earlier but due to the coldness of the water it was moved back a few weeks later.  This race is unique in that competitors only swim in one direction.  All competitors get their bike etc ready in transition on the island and then get a ferry across to the mainland where the race starts.  They then swim back over to the island to complete the race.  The race consisted of a 750m swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  The cycle route starts on a nasty hill which separates everyone up nicely.  It was a 4pm start so everyone is quite rested before the race.  The sea was perfectly calm and the sun came out which made it very enjoyable. 

Tom Casey and Noel Dillon were our only 2 participants in the race who seem to make it an annual expedition.  They both emerged from the water within seconds of each other.  They passed each other a few times on the bike but Tom had the better running legs on the day finishing 9th overall and 1st vet in 1.08.20.  Noel came home 17th overall in 1.10.20.  They both beat their times from last year by 2mins and 6mins respectively.

Fingal Pool Based Triathlon

Meanwhile, on the same weekend in Dublin, the weather was not so nice.  It was wet and windy made all the worse by swimmers emerging from the warm water and environment of the pool. There were almost 300 competitors taking part in this Sprint distance race with 3 starts with about 10 swimmers per lane.  The flat water of the pool would have been turned into a much rougher swim with so many swimmers in it than most sea swims.

Keith Radley, who was participating in his 1st pool swim race, emerged from the pool a good few minutes down on the leaders but after posting the 8th fastest bike time on the day it brought him up to finish 17th overall in 1hr 08mins.  Eric Pinaqui was hoping to better his time here from last year and was not disappointed as he finished in 1hr 24 mins, 4 mins faster than last year.

Waterford to Tramore Annual Run

The 7.5 mile annual run from Waterford to Tramore took place last weekend with over 260 runners taking part.  It’s a great sight to see all the runners running out of town with all the traffic stopped for a few minutes, everyone just looking on in amazement.  Eddie Delaney, who is training hard for the Cork marathon next weekend, had a superb run to finish 9th overall in 43.29mins. Alan Smith was hot on his heels to finish 14th overall in 44.38mins.  Next home was Alan Murphy in 28th place in 46.34mins with his brother Dan not far behind in 50.52mins, both of whom are also taking part in the Cork marathon next weekend.   Dermot Power also had a great run to finish in 51.36mins.  Louis O’Carroll had an excellent run to come home 2nd male Junior in 54.43mins.  Niamh Sullivan was delighted with her run of 1hr 29secs, an excellent time.  All those long runs are definitely paying off for her.

Joey Hannon & Try-Athlon Races in Limerick

You know the Triathlon season has well and truly started when the Joey Hannon race takes place in Limerick each year.  It always attracts a large number of entrants with some of Ireland’s best athletes taking part.  It didn’t look so good last Sunday morning as we left Waterford for Limerick so early that it was still quite dark with heavy rain falling and not a trace of blue in the sky.  Extra clothes had to be packed as you didn’t know what to wear for the race.  By the time everyone got to the race though the day had miraculously changed and the sun came out and it turned out to be a scorcher of a day.  The one thing that no one thought to bring was sunscreen. 

There were 2 races taking place, the Joey Hannon Olympic race and a shorter Try-athlon.  As it was a pool based race, there were 2 starts in each race.  Everyone had to estimate their times and this determined what start and what lane you were in.  There were 10 lanes in the pool with up to 10 swimmers in the lane.  Even though it was a 50m pool it still got a bit hectic at times as some swimmers turned out to be faster or slower than others in the lane with the result that some people got held up and lost time in the swim.

Martin Kirwan and Michael Bowes took part in the Try-athlon along with over 170 other athletes.  This was a 500m swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  This was Michael’s first triathlon and Martin’s first time doing a pool swim so they were both quite nervous.  Martin’s swim is the weakest of the 3 disciplines so he came out of the water quite far behind the fastest but he made up for it on the bike posting the 4^th fastest time overall and on the run to finish an excellent 11^th overall in 1.22.09.  Michael’s run was his best discipline on the day which brought him up to an amazing 18^th overall in 1.24.18.  A great result for his first race.

The Joey Hannon race consisted of a 1500m swim with a 42k cycle and 10k run with over 160 athletes taking part. The day had started to get quite warm at this stage but was great for the supporters standing around! Stefan Green and Noel Ryan started in the 1^st wave with Shane Scadding and Colm Long in the 2^nd wave.  Shane had a great swim to emerge 15^th out of the water but he had a stormer of a bike, posting the 2^nd fastest time overall in 1hr 3mins, which, together with a good run was enough for him to finish 6^th overall in 2.05.08.

This was Stefan’s 1^st time doing a triathlon so he didn’t know what to expect at all.  He had a great race to finish 50^th overall in 2.30.48.  He said afterwards that it was harder than he expected which made his result even better.  Noel Ryan came out of the swim a few minutes behind Stefan but as they both had to same time for the bike and Noel having a faster run the end result was Noel to finish just behind Stefan in 51^st place in 2.31.15.  I can foresee many battles between these 2 in races to come.  Colm Long had a great swim and cycle but managed to get a huge blister on the bottom of his foot on the run which ended up with a large portion of skin hanging off (not for the faint hearted!). He found it very difficult to run but persevered to finish the race not in a time he had hoped but very well considering.

First Dip in the Cold Open Water

As the 1^st open water race is only a few weeks away we decided we had better take the wetsuits out of storage and talk ourselves into going for a swim in Dunmore East again to remember just how cold the water can be at this time of year.  We were very lucky with the weather as Bank holiday Monday was probably the warmest day of the year so far so it made it a little more enticing.  20 brave souls turned up, a few still half thinking of just watching everyone else but everyone donned the wetsuits eventually.  Some of the guys felt quite ashamed of their lack of enthusiasm and fear of the cold water when we made our way down to the beach to find children in the water with no wetsuits and no complaints, happily swimming around.  The water did feel pretty cold at first and there were quite a few squeals but after a few minutes we acclimatised and it didn’t feel so bad.  It’s great to have gotten back in the open water again but this is one club that could definitely not get in without a wetsuit!

13 MAY 2008

Rathgormac Hills Conquered at Duathlon

Last weekend Carrick on Suir Triathlon Club held their inaugural duathlon in Rathgormac surrounded by beautiful scenery  that would take your breath away as would all the hills on the run and bike course.  There was panic on the morning of the race as Kinsale Triathlon race had opened on-line and everyone was trying desperately to enter that as well as get ready to go to Rathgormac to do the race.  Things didn’t look good as it was raining quite heavily out and there were a few text messages from club members hoping for some excuse not to have to do the race but no one was getting out of participating no matter the weather.

On arriving in Rathgormac before the race the weather changed and the sun even came out for a while which allowed for everyone to mingle and chat and pose for photos! There was great sense of anticipation as people were checking out other competitor’s bikes and race equipment including a very useful and unusual looking drink bottle that Martin Kirwan had on his bike. 

For the race start we had to run or walk to the start line was about 1km from transition.  The first run was 5k which rumour had was very undulating so everyone (except for the strong runners) were a bit nervous.  It transpired to be just a bad as people thought so there was a lot of puffing and panting going on. 

The 20k cycle was an out and back course which involved many more hills and it had started to rain at this stage also.  The return leg of the cycle was easier than the outgoing leg so it was a nice way to finish the bike and to get off and run the final 3k which was a short 2 lap course.  This was the only flat part of the whole race which almost felt easy in comparison even though legs were very tired at this stage.

14 members of the club made the journey to Rathgormac to race plus a few extra who helped to marshal.  Eddie Delaney had a brilliant 1st run, coming in 2nd to collect his bike and had a great cycle and 2nd run to just miss out on the prizes to finish 4th overall in 1.06.22 in a top class field. A great performance from someone who only started to train properly a few months ago.  Keith Radley also had a strong race to finish 8th overall in 1.09.37.

Martin Kirwan and Dale Kennedy were next home finishing within seconds of each other.  Martin’s superduper drinks bottle may have given him the advantage to finish 12th overall in 1.12.33 with Dale 13th in 1.12.56. Michael Bowes was next home in 17th place in 1.13.53 with Michael Moloney and Stefan Green not far behind in 21st and 24th place in times of 1.15.37 and 1.17.06 respectively.  Davin Connolly was delighted with his race time of 1.18.26 to finish 27th overall.  Next home was Pat Giles who was saving the legs for today’s race by not racing in Butlerstown the night before. He reckons the duathlons are getting easier as he gets used to them which showed with his finish time 1.24.42.

Next home were the ladies with Norma Goggin leading the field.  She had a super race to finish in 1.27.15 and picked up 1st prize for 1st female Vet.  Next home was Olive O’Brien making her debut in the world of Duathlons.  She had a great race to finish in 1.31.24.  Helen Whyte was next home where she found the hills on the run tough and, for a change, couldn’t wait to get on the bike just to sit down. She came home in 1.35.40.  Ann Hennebry was delighted she didn’t chicken out of doing the race due to the weather and lack of training and was delighted with her time of 1.37.58.  Tracy Pollard managed to have a smile on her face throughout the tough race and finished in 1.49.24. It was a very tough race but everyone really enjoyed themselves and were grateful for the soup and sandwiches provided by the organisers afterwards. Well done to everyone involved.

Butlerstown 10k Race

The Annual Butlerstown 10k road race took place last weekend with over 220 participants which was a great turnout considering the miserable weather.  It was a new course this year which involved 3 laps, with a tough little hill on it, which was great for spectators as we got to watch and cheer on everyone a few times.  Niamh Sullivan was our only participant as most of the club were saving their legs and energy for the Duathlon the following day.  Niamh had a great run and was delighted with her time of 49.50mins.

Clubmember’s Success in Fenor Duathlon

We had 15 members of the club participate in the Duathlon in Fenor with great results especially as most of them have only recently taken up the sport.  Eddie Delaney was 1st of the club home in only his 2nd duathlon ever.  He was 7th in off the bike but overtook two people on the run to finish 5th overall in 1.04.21.  Tom Casey was next home in 1.05.24, 1st (super)vet on the day, 8th overall.  Michael Bowes who is also new to the world of duathlons, had a great race to finish 17th overall in 1.09.16.  Michael Moloney who was competing in a duathlon for the 1st time was delighted with his race to finish 22nd overall in 1.10.55.  Mark Power and Stefan Green both had a great race to finish 25th and 27th overall in 1.12.01 and 1.12.10 respectively. 

David Connolly, Eric Pinaqui and Pat Giles all came home one after the other in 1.15.20, 1.15.26 and 1.16.26 respectively. Brian Slattery was next home in 1.17.59 with Louis O’Carroll having a great race to finish in 1.18.59, 1st Junior home.

James Borland was delighted with his race to finish in 1.21.39.  Caroline Russell was next home in 1.32.27 with a delighted Sean Roche next home in 1.34.27.

Brendan Mooney was 7th in after the first run and was having a great cycle when he was unlucky to get a puncture which ended his race in disappointment.

First Triathlon of the Season - Nenagh

Last weekend the first Triathlon of this year took place in Nenagh.  This was the first time the newly formed club held a race and it was a great success.  It consisted of a 750m pool swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  Over 150 competitors took part with 5 wave starts and 6 swimmers to a lane.  Club member Noel Ryan decided to get a head start on the Triathlon season by making this his first race.  He was lucky in his swim lane as everyone had guessed their swim times pretty accurately so they were all of similar standard so there were no hold-ups.  It was a freezing cold day though and Noel really felt the chill when he went from the warm pool out into a strong headwind on the bike without the usual winter clothing that we are still wearing at the moment.  He could not get warm on the cycle and could barely feel his toes when he got on to the run.  His run was his best of the 3 disciplines on the day and he finished an excellent 29th overall in 1.17.48. 

Recent road races – Waterford AC 4 miler and Marine Climb

Everyone is training hard and keeping busy and some are putting their training to the test by competing in road races.  The Waterford AC 4 mile road race took place in Waterford recently with almost 200 runners taking part.  It was a bitter cold day which the runners found uncomfortable.  Brendan Mooney (who had fresher legs than he thought he would have as he got a puncture the previous day in the middle of his duathlon race in Fenor) had a great race to finish 18th overall in 22.44mins.  Maria Griffin was next home after a brilliant run to finish 2nd female overall in 23.50mins.  Dermot Power was delighted with his performance to finish in 25.17mins.  Niamh Sullivan competed in her first road race this year with a great run to finish in 30.28mins.

Last weekend, the annual Marine Climb took place in Dungarvan with over 230 runners lining up at the start.  Annette O’Mahony and Tracy Pollard were our only 2 competitors taking part in this tough race.  The race gets it’s name from the hill in the latter part of the race which is over 2 miles long.  There was a bit of a sprint finish from the 2 girls who finished together with Tracy coming home in 1.00.12 and Annette in 1.00.14. 

Podium Finishes at Spokes Duathlon

Last weekend one of the first races of this season took place in Tramore with a Duathlon comprising of a 3k run, 16k cycle followed by a 3k run. The weather threatened to turn against us at times but it remained sunny if a bit windy for the duration of the race which was probably a factor in the huge crowd that turned out for the race.  The run and cycle courses were relatively flat but there was a strong wind against you on the return leg of the bike which suited the strong cyclists but everyone else felt like they were going nowhere for a long time.

There were 25 competitors from the club taking part, the most entrants in one race we have ever had.  There were many members who have been doing Triathlons for years taking part but many of them had never done a Duathlon before so they were just as nervous as the new members who had never done either before.  There was a great buzz of excitement before the race with everyone either giving or receiving some good race tips.

About 200 athletes lined up for the race, which is one of the biggest entrants for a Duathlon in Ireland.  Sean Foley had an excellent first run and he was back for his bike 3^rd overall followed closely by Davin Power, Eddie Delaney, Brendan Mooney, Keith Radley and David Brazil. The tough bike leg was where the more experienced athletes got the advantage though especially when they had to get off and run the 2^nd run with tired legs for the first half mile. Running off a bike is something that needs to be practiced and can be very uncomfortable for a while.

Davin Power, who was competing in a duathlon for the 1^st time, had a brilliant race to finish 3^rd overall in 50.27mins.  Eddie Delaney, another newbie to duathlons also had an excellent race to finish 10^th overall in 52.41mins.  Next home was David Brazil in 12^th place overall 53.02mins with Sean Foley who was doing this also for the time coming home 16^th in 54.07mins and Alan Murphy hot on his heels to finish 18^th overall in 54.16mins.  Martin Kirwan also had a great race to finish 20^th overall in 54.41mins with newbie Breandan Mooney not far behind in 23^rd place in 54.53mins and Dale Kennedy coming home in 25^th in 55.08mins. 

Dermot Power was next home in 56.14mins, 37^th place with Colm Long finishing in 56.57mins.  Maria Griffin was the first of our ladies home with a Podium finish coming 3^rd lady overall in 58.48mins.  Michael Bowes, trying this for the first time, was next home in 59.09mins with Pat Giles and Stefan Green home one after another in 59.49mins and 1hr respectively.  Brian Slattery, another newbie, was delighted with his time of 1.06.41 with Norma Goggin hot on his heels in 1.06.45 finishing 1^st female vet overall.  Paul Jaques who was also doing this for the first time was thrilled with his result of 1.11.35.  Vinnie Ryan was next home in 1.14.23 with an ecstatic Sean Roche coming home in 1.14.49.  Tracy Pollard was next home in 1.19.34 with Annette O’Mahony home in 1.25.24.

We had one team entry in the race, The WAG’s, consisting of Niamh Sullivan doing both the runs and Helen Whyte doing the cycle.  They had a great race finishing 3^rd team overall in 1.04.15. 

2008 Season Started with Duathlon in Limerick

Last weekend, this year’s Triathlon/Duathlon season kicked off with the first Duathlon of three taking place in Limerick.  Martin Kirwan was the first from the Club to put his training into action as he took part in this 3.8k run, 16k cycle, 3.8k run.  85 participants lined up on this chilly but sunny morning which is quite large for a race so early in the season.  This was Martin’s first Duathlon race and it still being February, the biggest challenge on the morning is what to wear for the race.  If it was just a training day he would be all decked out in thermals and waterproofs but for a race you have to assume that you will heat up once you get going.  Once the race started he put in a great performance to keep up with some of the more experienced duathletes to finish 11th overall in 54.08mins.

Kilmacthomas 5 Miler

Breandan Mooney was our only competitor in the Kilmac 5 mile road race last Sunday as most of the club participated in the Spokes Duathlon in Tramore the day before.  With almost 200 competitors taking part, he had a brilliant race to finish 11th overall in 29.14mins, a great time considering he took part in the Duathlon himself the day before.

Dungarvan 10 Miler

Last weekend saw a record number of runners line up in Dungarvan when over 700 athletes took part in their annual 10mile road race.  These hardy runners from all over the country were not put off by the wind and rain of early morning but it had cleared nicely by the time the race started in the afternoon. 

There was stiff competition in the club with new members Eddie Delaney and Brendan Mooney with Eddie being the favourite to come home first as he had the advantage over Brendan in the Winter League but Brendan ran a great race to finish in 1:02:29 just a few seconds ahead of Eddie who came home in 1:02:29.  David Brazil also had a great race as he finished in 1:03:18 with Martin Kirwan hot on his heels to finish in 1:04:06.  Alan Murphy was next home in 1:07:31 followed closely by Noel Dillon in 1:07:51.   Pat Giles came home next in 1:10:38 and Liam Lowe in 1:19:53.

13 MARCH 2008

Winter League comes to an End

It was the final week of the Winter League last Thursday and things had heated up nicely in the last few weeks with only seconds separating the top runners in the club. It was the perfect night for a fast time as there wasn’t a breeze and many people set pb’s on the night including Brendan Mooney, Alan Murphy, Martin Kirwan, Brian Slattery, PJ Tobin and Niamh Sullivan. 

Davin Power managed to hang on to the fastest time in the club with 30.18mins for the 5.2 miles which also happens to be the 4^th fastest time overall in the League. Brendan Mooney overtook 2 of his clubmates to have the 2^nd fastest time of 30.30mins with Eddie Delaney next fastest at 30.43mins and Shane Scadding at 30.49mins.

Olive O’Brien had the fastest time of the females with a time of 39.51mins for the 5.2miles with Helen Whyte next at 40.30mins and Norma Goggin close behind in 40.39mins. 

After the race, even though it was Valentines night, there was a huge crowd at the Mount Sion Centre for music and craic and presentation of prizes.  Dermot Power and Norma Goggin both won a prize for having the 9^th and 8^th best improved times respectively of the males and females.

We would also like to thank the Waterford Road Runners for a great Winter League which was run brilliantly with great time and effort from all involved including the organisers and the marshals.  We would also like to thank them for their donation to our club which was very much appreciated.

15 FEBRUARY 2008

Baldy Man Race

The annual Baldy Man race took place in Tramore over the festive period with over 200 participants taking part in the 5 and half mile race.  This race comprises running down the beach and around the sand dunes so it was tough enough to run especially as you had to be very careful with your footing or you could end with a serious injury.  Martin Kirwan decided to try this race for the first time and finished 17^th overall in a brilliant time of 36.53mins.  Dermot Power was next home in 39.03mins in 35^th place with Pat Giles coming home in 43.03mins.  Liam Lowe was our only other competitor and he finished in 46.43mins.

Race 1 in Club Duathlon Series

Waterford Triathlon Club held it’s first Club Duathlon in Fenor.  It consisted of a 5k run around Ballyscanlon lake area followed by a 20k cycle and 3k run.  We couldn’t ask for better weather for a November morning as the sun shone brightly but the wind picked up a bit by the time the race started which meant that we had a nice fast cycle in towards Tramore but had a struggle on the way back.  I think everyone had forgotten how hard it is to get off a bike and run especially after doing a run before the bike.  There were a few choice words to be heard as people ran or half limped up the road.  First home on the day with a comfortable lead was Keith Radley in an excellent time of 1hr 02mins followed by Martin Kirwan in 1hr 08mins with PJ Tobin home in 3rd place in 1hr 11mins.

Flying the flag for the females was Olive O’Brien who had a great race to come home first in 1hr 21mins with Norma Goggin next home in 1hr 24mins and Helen Whyte finishing in 1hr 29mins.

Pat Giles put everyone to shame though as he cycled out from Waterford, did the race and then cycled home again afterwards while everyone else was complaining of aches and pains as they got into their cars.  We would also like to welcome back to fold Vincent Ryan who has been hibernating on the triathlon front for a while.  He also had a brilliant race even if he did find it tough. 

Winter League

The very popular annual Winter League started again last Thursday with over 400 runners lining up at the RSC to take part in either the 5 mile or the 2.5mile routes which was the largest amount of people on any one night ever.  As it was the first night everyone started off together and times were taken at the finish which will be used to determine everyone’s starting time next week.  It works on a handicap system with the slower runners starting first and the fastest last so no-one feels like they are being left behind trying to catch up for the whole race. With 15 members of the club taking part on this first night there will be some very interesting times to be seen.

30 OCTOBER 2007

Marathon Men

Last weekend some of the more hardy members of the club participated in the Dublin City marathon just to finish off their season with a bang.  The weather was good if a little windy in places but perfect for the long time that everyone would be running for.  As there were over 11,000 runners taking part, there was an obvious delay in people starting the race with some at the back of the large field not starting for long time after those at the front of the field. Because of this, people had the surprise at the end of the race of finding out it they beat their nearest adversary or not.

Three members of the club took part with fellow Waterford Triathlete Tom Casey also out to get a few scalps from the younger guns.  Noel Dillon had the fastest first 10k with Martin Kirwan and David Brazil not far behind.  Tom Casey was a few minutes slower, biding his time and sticking to his pace.  By the 30k mark, David Brazil was the fastest, with Noel hot on his heels and Martin and Tom a few minutes behind.  But by the time they all crossed the finish line, it was David Brazil who had trained hard for this race who came home first in an excellent time of 3hrs 13mins.

Tom Casey had a stormer of a race for the last 12k and pipped Noel by less than a minute to finish in 3hrs 17.28 with Noel finishing in 3.18.18.  They were both delighted with this as they had a long hard triathlon season. Noel also beat last year’s time by 18mins which has a great achievement.  Martin Kirwan was also thrilled with his race as he finished in 3hrs 23mins. 

A few weeks previous to this, Pat Giles took part in the Amsterdam marathon and had a brilliant race to finish in 3hrs 30mins.

Last Triathlon of the Season

The last Triathlon of this year took place recently in Lough Rea in Co. Galway.  It has been a long and tiring season for most triathletes so it was great to see over 300 competitors take part in the Sprint and Olympic distance races which were held as part of the Loughrea festival. 

The Sprint race attracted the most athletes with almost 200 lined up for the start in the lake which was crystal clear and dead calm, that is, until the race started and then it was the usual mayhem with arms and legs everywhere.  It takes a few minutes until the field splits up a bit for everyone to find a comfortable place to swim and breathe comfortably. The 20k cycle was quite hilly as was the 5k run but the weather was great apart from some wind which everyone felt on the cycle.

Ian Walsh, who has only stated doing triathlons this year had only ever done one race before competing in this race so he was a bit nervous especially of the swim as that is his weakest discipline and he is still not used to swimming amongst the large crowds.  He emerged 70^th out of the water and has his work cut out for him but then had a brilliant cycle, posting the 12^th fastest time and an even better run having the 6^th fastest time to finish 10^th overall in 1hr 14mins.  The big fry-up he had in the morning didn’t seem to affect him too much.

Ann Hennebry who is also new the triathlon really enjoyed the race especially the swim which is her best discipline.  She had a great race also to finish 66^th overall, 4^th fastest female in 1hr 27mins.

The Olympic distance race which was on after the Sprint race finished attracted over 100 competitors. Barry Murray who has been away in America for the past few months was home for a few weeks so decided to squeeze in a race while here. He has competed well in a few races in America but has not been doing his usual standard of training so he was delighted with his performance to finish 21^st overall in 2hrs 37mins.  Liam Lowe who had a brilliant (if not tiring) race only a few weeks previous to this in the Half Ironman really surpassed himself by finishing 46^th overall in 2hrs 50mins. A great achievement.

30 SEPTEMBER 2007

Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in Half Ironman

Last week, the big race, the one that we had all been nervously waiting for finally arrived when we travelled to Kenmare to compete in the Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon.  This challenging race consists of a 1900m swim, 90k cycle followed by 21k run around the lovely hills and mountains of Kenmare which included the Category 1 climb of the Healy pass and the Caha pass.  Such is the popularity of this race that when it opened up for entry months ago, it filled up in less than an hour with entry limited to 250.  So when it did open, some of us entered without thinking about it too much and then sat back and thought “what have I let myself in for?”  As the race day drew closer, there were some very nervous white ghost-like faces going around the place, wondering if they had done enough training just to get through the race not to mention actually having a good race time at the end of it.  The months leading up to this have been filled with many long swims with the dolphins and jellyfish in Dunmore East, long long cycles all over the south east and tough runs in Portlaw woods which, if you manage to run for 2 hours up there you can manage any hills.

We all tried to get a good night’s sleep the night before but with a 7am race start it was hard to find the time.  It was very a surreal feeling at 6am when everyone was cycling from their accommodation in Kenmare to the race start as it was still dark and all you could see were cyclist coming out of every corner heading in the same direction.  When daylight finally broke, it turned out to be a perfect day for this race as it was quite dull with no wind and everyone was excited setting up in transition despite the nerves.  It was difficult to figure out what to wear for the race as it was going to be chilly on the bike but warm on the run and you also had to bring energy bars and plenty fluids to get through the race especially for those who were going to be out there for a long time.

The swim course had changed this year and was longer than last year with swim times reflecting this.  Alan Smith was first of the club out of the water in 12th place with Shane Scadding close behind in 19th position.  Shane overtook Alan after a few miles on the bike and was first of the club home in 14th place in 4hrs 32mins, getting a bronze medal in his age-group and managing to knock almost 10mins off last years time.

Alan had a great race to beat last years time by almost 8mins to finish in 20th place overall in 4hrs 40mins and getting a silver medal in his age-group for his efforts.  Next home was Keith Radley who had a storming race.  Keith only started doing Triathlons last year and has come on heaps and bounds in the year.  He still has much room for improvement in this swimming as he came out 105th out of the water (and that’s without the dolphins to scare him!) but had a brilliant bike and even better run (he had the 9th fastest run overall) to finish 29th overall in 4hrs 44mins and getting a Gold medal in his age-group.  A brilliant achievement for someone who is still so young for this gruelling race.

Next home was Davin Power who also had brilliant race to finish 35th overall in 4hrs 49mins.  Noel Dillon and fellow Waterford athlete Tom Casey ended up running together towards the end of the race and were having a chat about maybe finishing together but then someone (wasn't me!) decided to up the pace and it developed into a sprint finish with Tom coming out the better to finish in 52nd place in 4.59.58 with Noel finishing 2 seconds later.  Tom also came 3rd in his age-group so ended up with a well deserved bronze medal.

PJ Tobin only entered this race after some-one else dropped out at the last minute so he didn’t have as long to get prepared or to be as nervous as others.  He was out of the swim in the second half of the field but had a brilliant cycle to overtake loads of competitors to finish in 5hrs 09mins.  The newly shaved legs paid off for aerodynamics PJ!

Colm Long was back again to try to beat last years time but he had no idea he would trash it so much as he came home in 5hrs 18mins, taking a whopping 47mins off it, his biggest improvement being on the bike.

Liam Lowe put in a lot of training for this race but didn’t feel quite ready when the time came so he was a bit apprehensive in the upcoming days.  He needn’t have worried though as he finished in a very strong 6hrs 10mins.

Helen Whyte had also trained hard for this race but was nervous about the amount of time she would be out there for and would she have enough food and fluids to get through the race. As expected she had a slow swim but was faster than planned so it was a good start.  Once she got on to the run she knew she would get through it as it is her strongest event and finished in a delighted and unexpected 7hrs 01min.  She was delighted that so many of the competing and non-competing club members had waited around so long for her to finish and it felt great to hear all the cheering.  Everyone had a brilliant race and performed much better than expected.  The benchmark has been set for next year and many will be returning to better their times.

30 AUGUST 2007

Lough Neagh Olympic and Pulse Sprint Triathlons

Last weekend some of the club made the long long trip to Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland to compete in the National Championships Olympic distance triathlon.  Because it was the National Champs, it attracted one of the highest class fields ever to gather for a race in recent times.  We awoke to a dull morning that got even duller as it neared race start.  By the time the 300 or so competitors were getting into the water the rain had started and it stayed miserable for most of the race.  It’s quite refreshing to run in the rain but cycling is a different story as it can be quite dangerous especially on tight corners and turnaround points as some people found out to their misfortune.

There was only one start in the swim with everyone having to swim out about 150m to the start line so that it would be a straight out start to avoid people getting squashed too much.  The water felt cold enough but at least it was calm. 

The 40k cycle involved 4 laps on closed roads which made it a very fast course but was quite technical and dangerous in places if you weren’t careful especially with the wet roads. If you cycled too close to the person in front you got a nice face full of dirt and water spray that made it impossible to see. It was a lovely course with only one short hill that once you were up, you felt as if you had finished the lap as it was all downhill from there to the start of the next lap.  The 10k run was also on closed roads with 4 laps which was great for both spectators and competitors as you could see where everyone was and try to catch them (or stay ahead of them). 

Shane Scadding emerged 29th out of the water but had the 6th fastest bike time, completing the 40k in under an hour, to finish 16th overall, 1st in his age-group, in 2.03.30, his best time ever for this distance and managing to beat last year’s time by 7mins 39secs. Davin Power was also having a great day as he emerged 43rd out of the swim but put in great cycle and run times to finish 26th overall in 2.10.41, his best ever time over this distance and beating last year’s time in this race by 4mins 23secs.

Noel Dillon was also on fire on the day as he came home in 2.24.15, just a few seconds outside of his personal best but managing to take 9mins 35secs off last years time on this course. PJ Tobin’s hard training is definitely paying off as he came home in 2.28.57, his fastest time yet for this distance taking 3mins off his previous best.

Ian McNulty, a former member of the Club who is now living with his family in Cork and is now a member of Cork Tri. Club also took part in the race wearing the good ole colours of the Waterford Club (or maybe he just likes the red and white).  He wasn’t as prepared for this race as he thought he was and was a bit disappointed with his run but he had a great race to finish in 2.40.59.

Helen Whyte was delighted to take a few mins off her swim time but was quite cold for the first few laps on the bike as it was raining quite heavily.  Her main thought throughout the bike course was that she wished she had mud-guards on as she could see how much muck and oil was getting onto peoples clothes and she dreaded what her own top would be like by the end of it.  She had a brilliant run even though her wet shoes caused blisters and cuts on the last lap, to finish in 3.05.59, by far her best time over this distance, and beating last years time by over 20mins.

The 6 of these athletes plus another 5 from the club will be travelling to Kenmare next weekend to participate in the Half Ironman triathlon.  This is the toughest race of all in Ireland as it involves a 1.2mile swim, 52mile cycle and 13.1mile run.

The previous weekend 10 hardy members of the Club travelled to Blessington in Co. Wicklow to participate in the Pulse Sprint Triathlon.  Weather forecasts were not looking good and they were found to be correct on the day as it rained for pretty much the whole morning.  This did not dampen the spirits of the 300 or so athletes gathered in the field in the transition area setting up their bikes and race gear and making the best out of the day that was in it. 

The 750m swim was in the lake so at least we knew that was going to be nice and flat and it was surprisingly warm. There were 3 starts in the swim based on swim ability with the females in the last start so no one knew where they finished until times were adjusted later.  There was a long run uphill from the swim exit to transition, probably about 500m but everyone put on shoes of some sort as there was a shortage of mat for the last 100m and it was quite mucky from all the rain.  This just added to the excitement of the whole race especially for the newbies to triathlon. 

The 20k cycle was very enjoyable and scenic for those who were taking the time to look around.  There were quite a few people with punctures dotted along the road so everyone was just keeping their fingers crossed that they would not be one of the unlucky ones.  The 5k out and back run was pretty flat with the rain to keep you cool.

Shane Scadding had a great swim and pushed it on the bike to claw his way to 3rd place on the run only to get overtaken towards the end so he had to be happy with 4th place overall in 58.20mins.  Next home was Colm Long who had a great race to finish in 1.08.35 in 35th place overall.  Martin Kirwan is having a brilliant first season in only his 2nd ever triathlon to finish 65th overall in 1.12.34. 

Ian Walsh was competing in his first ever triathlon and only got a late entry so he didn’t have much time to get nervous about his race.  He found the swim difficult as he’s not used to all the pushing and shoving that goes on at the start while everyone finds their place but he had a great cycle and posted the 17th fastest run time overall to finish in 1.14.57.  There will be no stopping him once he gets his swimming sorted.  Next home was Olive O’Brien who is another newbie to triathlon this year.  She had a great race with a very strong bike to come home 1.20.38.  She also had a very weird coloured toe after the race which she seemed to have broken at some stage along the way but she didn’t feel it until after the race.  What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger Olive! 

Ann Hennebry, competing in only her 2nd triathlon was delighted with her performance as she came home in 1.21.36 with Catherine Galvin also only competing in her 2nd ever race close behind in 1.22.43.  Helen Whyte was next home in 1.26.05.  John Carew and Dave Forristal both thought their race season was finished for this year until they got late entries into this race so they were a little less prepared than they had planned.  They both had a great race though and were seen running towards the finish together but John was the stronger on the run and finished in 1.28.42 with Dave close behind in 1.29.38.  John’s famous quote of the day was “there’s no substitute for training” which we hope he will remember over the winter months for next years races.

In the afternoon after the Pulse triathlon there were other “fun” activities as part of the Blessie Nessie festival.  Shane Scadding and Ian Walsh were both roped into taking part in teams of 6 in the adventure race triathlon which included canoeing 1500m, cycling 10k followed by a 3k run. Shane’s team finished first although they reckon there was some mix up with timing chips and they really finished 2nd but they got the cups! 

The following day, after liquid celebrations and little sleep, Shane, Ian, Helen and Catherine dragged themselves out of bed to take part in the 11k run.  Ian had a brilliant run to finish 2nd overall in 41mins with Shane coming home 4th in 43mins.  Helen was delighted to finish 1st in the ladies in 53.30mins with Catherine in 2nd place in 57.30mins.

Mourne Olympic Triathlon

Last week we travelled to Mourne in Co. Down for an Olympic distance race in the beautiful lake and parklands of Castlewellan.  There was torrential rain the night before which did not look like it was going to stop for days but we all awoke to the birds singing and the sun shining on Saturday morning which was the start of a great day.  There was a kids duathlon on in the morning which served as a great warm up for main event in the afternoon.  Everyone was well relaxed (almost too relaxed!) and prepared by the time the race started.  With over 300 athletes entered, there were 3 starts based on age-groups with Keith Radley and Colm Long in the first start.  Ten minutes later saw Shane Scadding, Davin Power, PJ Tobin and Noel Dillon set off with Helen Whyte in the final start ten minutes after them.  Helen was the last swimmer to enter the water as she knew she would in there for quite a long time so she was delighted to find that it was surprisingly warm.  There was a strong breeze blowing against us for the outward leg of the 1500m swim so it felt like you were going downhill on the return leg with the wind behind you and the odd wave flowing over you.

The 42k cycle was on closed roads and consisted of 2 laps of a very undulating course.  It felt like there were no flat bits, just all up or downs so it was very technical with gear changes constantly.  Because it was a 2 lap course everyone could see everyone else and how far ahead or behind they were so it made it very interesting. 

The 10k run was 2 laps around the lake on trail paths which was flat apart from one 500m hill which we had to run up and turn around on and run back down.  It was lovely to run off road for a change and made the distance seem much shorter because of the scenic views. 

Shane Scadding came back to transition after a great 7th fastest cycle and racked his bike and went to put on his runners only to find that they were not there.  He assumed he forgot to leave them out so he ran out of transition, jumping over barriers and anything else in the way, ran to his van to get his runners where he panicked to find the van locked.  He then ran back down to his bike only to realise that he had put his bike in the wrong place and his runners were exactly where he left them.  It was a terrible mistake to make and one we can only put down to him turning 40 the previous week.  We didn’t think he would start loosing his mind so fast!  Apart from all this he had a great race to finish 9th overall in 2.11.35.

Next home was Davin Power who had a great swim and strong bike and run to finish in 26th place overall in 2.20.10.

Keith Radley who was competing in only his 2nd ever Olympic distance race finds swimming the most difficult of the 3 disciplines had the 156th fastest swim but soon made up for it on the bike and run having the 35th and 34th fastest in each respectively to finish 44th overall in 2.27.59.

Noel Dillon who also finds swimming the most difficult emerging 153rd out of the water and clawed his way back on the bike and run to finish 64th overall in 2.31.48.

PJ Tobin who was only competing at this distance race for the 3rd time only had a great race especially on the bike to finish in 2.38.30.  He’s fast closing the gap on the guys ahead of him.  Colm Long was next home and was delighted with his time of 2.42.34.

Helen Whyte had a great race apart from her chain coming off on the bike.  She was more worried about the amount of oil on her hands and trying to keep her clothes clean than the amount of time she lost trying to put the chain back on.  She was delighted with her run as she took 10mins off her usual time to come home in a personal best time of 3.17.36 overall. 

Strong Currents in Athlone

Two weeks ago some of the Club travelled to Athlone to participate in their Sprint distance triathlon.  This race was billed as being the largest ever triathlon to take place in Ireland with over 1200 participants taking part in total in the shorter try-athon and the Sprint race with over 20 elites taking part afterwards in the elite championships race.  With the heavy rains that had fallen in the previous few days the river was swollen with water and had a very strong current going against the direction of the swim.  For this reason, the swim was shortened to 600m.  There were 5 starts with a planned 15mins between each start but because the currents were so strong, it took swimmers much longer than anticipated to do the swim with many not being able to complete it at all so there was over 45mins between each swim start.  Those who did manage to get through it felt very disorientated and tired when they emerged to run to their bikes to head out on the 20k cycle and then the 5k run.

Martin Mizgajski who is a pretty strong swimmer wasn’t as affected as most because of the strong currents and had a great race to finish 10th overall in 1hr 11mins, 4th in his age-group. Noel Dillon’s swim was slower than usual but he had a great cycle and run to finish 67th overall in 1hr 20mins.  PJ Tobin would rather forget his swim experience as he found it quite tough but had a much better cycle and run to finish in 1hr 29mins. 

Youghal Triathlon & Firefighter Champs

The following week the annual sprint triathlon took place in Youghal with over 200 participants taking part with the added excitement of having the National Firefighter Championships taking part in the same race.  The sea was a lot calmer than previous years and the run was on the same new course as last year which was quite hilly.  Keith Radley, who only started doing triathlons last year is having a great 2nd season.  Swimming is his weakest discipline which showed as he emerged 66th out of the water but he quickly passed most people on the bike and run to finish 13th overall in 1.10.04 having had the 5th fastest run overall.  Alan Smith who is not long back from Austria where he had a brilliant Ironman race was also taking part in the Firefighter championships being held in this race.  He emerged 10th out of the water and had a great cycle and run to finish 14th overall in 1.10.44 a brilliant result considering his still tired legs.  He finished 2nd in the firefighter champs.  Michael McGrath who was participating in only his second race ever struggled through the swim to emerge 132nd out of the water but put his foot down on drier land and posted great times for the cycle and run to finish 39th overall in 1.16.02.

2nd Podium Finish for Shane

Last weekend some of the Club travelled to Bray to participate in their Seafront Sprint Triathlon.  With the heavy rain we got Friday evening looking like it was never going to stop some of thought we could just watch the race from a nice dry distance but Saturday morning the sun came out so there were no excuses to be found.  Right from the start things went wrong though as Martin Mitzgajski got a puncture in his car on the way up and never made it to the race.  He was very disappointed as he is travelling to Poland this week to participate in their National Olympic distance race and wanted another race to practice in before doing so.

Over 200 athletes lined up on the beach waiting for the starter horn to go, pulling their wetsuits to fit properly, stretching their arms, chatting nervously when disaster struck Colm Long.  As he was putting on his goggles the strap snapped in half.  So, after a few seconds of horror, he managed to tie the straps together and they worked fine for the swim.  There was a mad rush for the water on the starter horn with everyone shouting and cheering as they ran for the water. 

Shane Scadding was the first of the club out of the water in 7th place and set off in hot pursuit of the leaders.  He got held up a bit in road works on roundabouts on the way out of town but that didn’t stop him having the 2nd fastest cycle to come back in 2nd place before heading out on the run.  He maintained this position for the 5k run and was delighted to finish 2nd overall, his highest finishing place ever in 1.04.35.

Next home was Colm Long who got through the swim with his make-shift goggles.  He had a great race to finish 45th overall in 1hr 16mins.  Liam Lowe was also having a bad day when, after having a great swim, followed some cyclists down the wrong road on the cycle and lost a lot of time before they realised they had gone wrong.  He still managed to finish 69th overall in 1.21.07, a great time considering.

Helen Whyte was delighted with her swim, especially as it was shorter than it was supposed to be and was after passing a good few cyclists when 3 miles into the race she heard a funny noise on her bike.  When she got off and had a look she was horrified to find a safety pin sticking out of her back tyre.  She pulled it out and thinking she might be lucky started cycling again but half a mile later her wheel was flat.  Her race was over.  She got a lift back but instead of just retiring from the race feeling like she had done nothing she put on her runners and did the run with another guy who has also gotten a puncture.  She didn’t officially finish the race but still felt like she did most of it.

Carrick on Suir Triathlon

Two weeks previous the annual Carrick on Suir Sprint Triathlon took place.  Our own race took part in Dunmore East the previous day so many of our new club members had participated in that with our more seasoned members marshalling and running around.  So it was very tired and sore bodies which arrived in Carrick on that afternoon for the race.  There were 3 starts to the race with Males, Females and the Army championships in each different start totalling over 250 participants.  Because the swim was down-stream, it was a fast one with everyone coming out close to each other.  There were only seconds separating the top 20 swimmers which included Shane Scadding, Martin Mitzajski and Davin Power.  There was a new cycle route this year so you didn’t know what was ahead of you until you got there and was made a little more difficult as the rain came down in the middle of it.  The run was as scenic as ever which included running back along the river.

Shane Scadding was first of the club home having another great race to finish in 8th place in 1.00.15 with Martin Mitzgajski close behind in 11th place in 1.00.45.  Davin Power was next home in a great time of 1.03.31 in 20th place overall. Colm Long was delighted with his race to finish in 1.12.34.  Eric Pinaqui who had raced in Dunmore East the day before somehow had the energy to take part today and had a brilliant race to come home in 1.14.35.

07 JULY 2007

The Hook or By Crook Triathlon

“The Hook or by Crook” Triathlon which Waterford Triathlon Club held recently in Dunmore was a huge success with almost 400 athletes taking part between individual and team entries.  We were very lucky with the weather on the day with the sun beating down for the morning as everyone prepared for the race.  There was a sense of excitement and nervousness as everyone was chatting and setting their bike and running gear up in transition.  We had 13 members of the club taking part, 10 of whom were doing a triathlon for the first time ever.  This was the day that they had all been eagerly waiting for.  The months of training and preparation were now going to put to the test. 

There were 2 starts to the race, with males 20-39 in the first swim start and all others in the 2nd start 12 minutes later.  The 750m swim started at Beach strand and swimmers went out to 2 buoys and back in to Councellors beach where they had a steep run up to transition in the car park. Transition is where athletes take off their wetsuits, put on helmets and take their bikes and whatever else for the bike section and return there afterwards to change shoes etc. for the run.  For people new to the sport, this can be a difficult section of the race as it takes practice to do this as efficiently and fast as possible. Valuable minutes can be lost or gained here. 

The 20k cycle was out the road towards Waterford to a turnaround point and back in to transition where the athletes then had to do the 6k run which included the dreaded Killea hill.  There were many red heads by the time they got to the top of this hill.  The long awaited finish was outside the park in Dunmore East where everyone was thrilled with their performance.

First of the club home was David Brazil, participating in a triathlon for the first time in a while, who finished 21st overall in 1.22.41.  Next home was Maria Murphy Griffin who was doing a triathlon for the first time.   Maria, who’s name you would normally see in papers every week for her brilliant running results, turns out to be a very good triathlete also.  She came home 54th overall in a time of 1.29.34, 5th female overall with the fastest running time of the females.  Close behind was Martin Kirwan who was also participating in a triathlon for the first time, having a brilliant race to finish 59th overall in 1.29.59 with Stephen Doyle, also competing for the first time apart from a trial run in Bonmahon triathlon was hot on his heels finishing in 1.30.38.

Alan Murphy was next home in 1.33.28, a slower time than he expected but he lost time on the bike course as he had mechanical problems with his bike.  Mary Doolan who was competing in a triathlon for the first time was delighted with her race to come home in 1.33.41, 9th female overall. Next home was Eric Pinaqui who only started doing triathlons last year in a time on 1.35.44.  P.J. Griffin, another first-timer, was delighted with his race, especially to get the swim over and done with and to get onto the bike where he feels most comfortable, finished in a great time of 1.40.17.  Next across the finish line was new-comer Olive O’Brien who was heard complaining at the top of  Killea hill that she shouldn’t be there and wanted to know who talked her into doing this race!  She was thrilled with her time of 1.43.15 and has entered her next race already.  Ann Hennebry was also competing for the first time and she too had a brilliant race to finish in 1.44.51.

David Forristal, who was a bit nervous about the swim and had never done a race before needn’t have worried as he had a great race to finish in 1.51.40.  Catherine Galvin, also a newbie to the sport was delighted to finish in 1.52.38.  Norma Goggin who seemed to have a smile on her face throughout the whole race also had a great first race to finish in 2.09.44. Everyone had a great day and are now looking for another race to do this year. 

30 JUNE 2007

The Hell of the West Triathlon

Last weekend one of the largest and most popular Triathlons, not the mention one of the toughest, took place in Kilkee, aptly named “The Hell of the West”.  This race was Olympic distance which consisted of a 1500m sea swim, 45k cycle and 10k run which took in all the sights and hills of West Clare.  The cycle course had changed this year but it was still as long and hard as the previous course.  There was a top class field taking part with Ireland’s best going head to head with each other.  How you perform in this race is usually a good indicator of how your training is going. 

With the weather being wet and miserable in the week leading up to this race, it was a pleasant surprise to have the sun shining for the duration of the race with many getting sunburnt.  There were 2 starts with the 25-39yrs males in the first start which included most of the potential winners of this race and everyone else 10mins later.  With nearly 600 athletes taking part, it was a great sight to see everyone take to the waters which were unusually calm and warm.

Davin Power was not having a good day and tensions were high as he got a puncture while testing his bike before the race even started.  He was lucky to get a spare tube and got his wheel mended in time to race.  Davin, PJ Tobin, Noel Dillon and Martin Mizgajski all started in the first wave with Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte in the 2nd start.  Martin had a great swim and was first of the club out of the water with Davin, Noel and PJ not far behind.  Martin’s cycle time was slower than he hoped as he had the disadvantage of not having a aero bars on this bike so Davin overtook him on the run to finish in an excellent 25th place in 2hrs 24mins taking a huge 12mins off last years time.  Martin came home next in 2hrs 27mins in 35th position.  Noel Dillon also had a great race to finish in 2hrs 42mins taking a huge 10mins off last years time.  PJ Tobin, who was only doing Olympic distance race for the 3rd time had a brilliant race to finish in 2hrs 47mins.

Shane Scadding who was in the 2nd start got caught a bit behind slower athletes from the 1st start on the swim and bike but that didn’t stop him having a great race with his best time yet for this race with one of the fastest bike times overall as he came home in 8th place overall in 2hrs 14mins, taking 6mins off last years time, winning his age-group. Helen Whyte was very nervous getting into the water as she hasn’t done a lot of swimming recently but the calm waters were easily manageable and she actually enjoyed the swim.  She was delighted with her overall time of 3hrs 35mins.

We would also like to congratulate fellow Waterford athlete Tom Casey who was doing Olympic distance race for the 1st time who came home in a remarkable time of 2hrs 36mins to come 3rd in this age-group.

Gold Medal in age-group at National Sprint Champs

Last weekend Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte made the very long journey to Mullaghmore in Co. Sligo to participate in the National Sprint Championships Triathlon which involved a 750m sea swim, 20k cycle and a 5k run.  Everyone woke up to a miserable Saturday morning but that didn’t deter over 300 athletes from taking part.  There were 4 starts in the race, the first start being a shorter swim course for novices.  The main event then got underway with Helen starting in the 3rd wave and Shane in the last wave.  The water was freezing cold and it was a very rough swim to the first buoy until the turn home to the finish.  Many people’s swim times were slower by a few minutes and it took a long time to warm up on the bike afterwards as the air temperature was quite cold also.  The cycle and run were on an undulating course but it was very scenic which helped make it quite enjoyable.

Because of the various starts, no-one knew where they had finished until the times were adjusted.  It was only when the results were announced that Shane found out he had finished 4th overall in 1.05.47, just 3 seconds behind 3rd place finisher who had started in a previous wave, winning a gold medal for finishing 1st in 40-44 age-group.  He also had a brilliant cycle having the fastest time overall on the day in 31.46mins.

Helen had a slow swim as she didn’t have the strength to fight the rough sea on the way out.  She made up a good few places though on the cycle and run which she really enjoyed to finish in 1hr 38mins. 

05 JUNE 2007

PB’s all round at TriAthy

Last weekend 4 members of the club travelled to Athy to compete in one of the biggest races in Triathlon so far with over 550 finishers in the two races, Sprint distance and Olympic distance that were held on the same day. The 4 guys all took part in the Olympic distance race with Davin Power starting in the first wave and PJ Tobin, Barry Murray and Noel Dillon all in the second wave.

The swim consisted of swimming 1200m downstream and the final 300m upstream.  Davin had a great swim and was having a brilliant cycle when disaster struck with only about 2 miles to go on the bike.  His front wheel went off the road and hit something rough so his tyre blew up and Davin ended up crashing off the bike.  He escaped with only a few bruises and scratches but his race was over for the day.

Barry, PJ and Noel all had great swims to come out within a minute of each other.  Noel was first out of the swim and had the fastest 40k bike time of the three but Barry put the foot down in the 10k run and managed to pass him.  Barry finished 55^th overall in 2hrs 21mins with Noel finishing in 69^th place in 2hrs 23mins, both recording their best times over this distance.  PJ, who was doing only his 2^nd ever Olympic distance race, came home in 2hrs 31mins, managing to take an amazing 20mins of this previous time.  Just goes to show what some hard training will do.

Dublin City Duathlon

Last Wednesday night in very hot and humid conditions Colm Long and Martin Kirwan took part in the Dublin City Duathlon held in Phoenix park.  This consisted of a 3.2k run, followed by a 16k cycle with another 3.2k run.  Entry was limited to 150 athletes and competition was fierce as the race filled up very fast with many people not being able to take part.  Colm came in just ahead of Martin after the 1^st run but Martin was stronger on the bike and went past him and managed to stay ahead of him for the duration of the race.  This was Martin 2^nd time only doing a duathlon so his did brilliant to finish 42^nd overall in 46.05mins.  Colm, who was given a 40 second penalty for someone else knocking over his bike in transition, came in not far behind in 47.36.

Touraneena 5k Road Race

Keith Radley had a great race in Touraneena last week when he took part in the 5k road race with over 150 other runners.  He finished 28^th overall in 18.02mins.

29 MAY 2007

Fingal Sprint Triathlon

Last weekend amid terrible weather conditions Shane Scadding, Helen Whyte and Eric Pinaqui took part in the Fingal Sprint Triathlon in Abbottstown in Dublin.  It was a 750m pool swim which was just as well as it was so windy it wouldn’t have been nice to have been in open water anywhere.  As there were over 250 participants the swim was broken into 3 different starts, 10 lanes with 9 swimmers per lane. It was Helens first time in years doing a pool swim race and it was quite daunting especially as it was a 50m pool.  It got quite manic at times as swimmers were trying to overtake each other and some swimmers were not allowing others who were faster to overtake them at lane ends. With all the splashing and kicking it felt like a rough sea swim but Helen got through it ok although she was 2 mins slower than her usual time.  The 20k bike and 5k run were much more enjoyable even though it was very windy and she made up quite a few places to finish in 1hr 34mins. 

Shane’s swim was just as hectic as he was in the same lane as the best swimmers and there was a good chance that the overall winner on the day was going to come from that lane.  He got a held a bit up behind a slower swimmer at the start and 3 others got a lead on the rest in the lane so he had a slower time than he should have had.   When he came out to get his bike, it was so windy, he found that his helmet had blown half way down the bike park so he lost even more time here but he made up for it as soon as he started pedalling as he had one of the fastest bike times and managed to claw his way back to 6th place which he maintained on the run, finishing 6th overall in 1hr 04mins, first in this age-group.

This was Eric’s longest race swim since he started doing triathlons last year as the swims in the races he did previous to this were all shorter.  This was also his first time doing a pool swim so he was a bit nervous but it was all unfounded as he had a great swim and followed it by an even better cycle and run to finish in 1hr 28mins which he was delighted with.

Valentia Triathlon

Last weekend Noel Dillon travelled to Valentia Island in West Cork to participate in their annual Sprint distance triathlon.  This race has grown in popularity in the last year with over twice as many entrants this year as last year with 212 athletes lining up.  The race involved swimming the 750m out to Valentia Island and then doing the 20k cycle and 5k run around the island. Noel, who was having his own personal battle with his brother Liam who is in the Wicklow Tri Club, had a good swim in just over 15mins as they both came out together but just didn’t have it in the legs on the day and finished a few minutes behind his brother for the second time only in 1.16.49.  At least he didn’t wear socks in the swim like last year where he spent 2 minutes trying to get them off him when he came out!

I must also mention Tom Casey (unaffiliated Waterford man) who was delighted with his race as he had one of the fastest runs overall on the day to come in 24^th place overall in 1.10.24.  Not bad for an auld fella!  He wasn’t so delighted the next morning though as he had left some electrics on in his camper overnight and had to get a jumpstart from a local tractor driver.

26 MAY 2007

Waterford to Tramore Road Race

Last Saturday evening there was a great sense of excitement as over 235 athletes lined up at The Mall in Waterford to participate in the annual Waterford to Tramore 7.5mile road race.  Alan Smith was first of the club home in a brilliant time of 44.49mins to finish 12^th overall.  Alan is training hard at the moment for an Ironman Triathlon in France next month.  Alan Murphy also had a great race and was next home to finish 40^th overall in 48.07mins.  Next home was Pat Giles who finished in 51.29 mins and Dan Murphy coming home in 1.00.33.  New club member Norma Goggin who wouldn’t normally run this far had a brilliant race to finish in 1.10.25.

Shane Has Podium Finish

Shane Scadding was the first of the club to participate in a Triathlon this year when he competed in the Joey Hannon in Limerick.  The race changed distances to an Olympic triathlon this year and was held in University Limerick which has a 50m pool which was great for the 1500m swim.  Shane lost a good bit of time in the swim as it is his weakest of the 3 disciplines but he had one of the fastest cycles and runs of the day and with 2k to go on the run, made his way up to 3rd position to finish in 2.02.26, his fastest time ever for Olympic distance race.  A great start to the season.

Waterford Duathlon a Great Success

The Duathlon which Waterford Triathlon Club held in Butlerstown recently was a huge success with 113 athletes on the day.  It consisted of 5k run, followed by a 20k cycle followed by a 3k run.  Nobody minded the light rain which started to fall just before the start as it kept them cool throughout the race.  After a hard battle throughout, it was won by Galway’s Ruadhri Geraghty in 59.10mins with local athlete Aubrey Storey finishing in 2nd in 1.00.54 and Lloyd Berry coming in 3rd in 1.01.29.  Kevin O’Brien was first vet home in 1.03.10. 

The ladies race was won easily by Catherine Keogane in 1.14.50 but the next 3 ladies were very close with Cork’s Susan Griffin finishing in 2nd in 1.16.22 and local runner Maria Griffin, who was doing a duathlon for the first time, running past Norah Daly close to the finish line to get 3rd in 1.16.59.  Norman Goggin from Tramore was first vet home in the ladies to finish in 1.31.27. 

Cycle Races

Martin Mizgajski has been very busy the last few weeks participating in cycling races in both Clonmel and Co. Wexford with great results.  It was an 80k race in Camross, Co. Wexford on a course which had 2 long hills to speak of but which they had to cycle up 7 times as it was a 7 lap course.  This suited Martin, who is very strong on the bike and he finished an excellent 3rd overall in the C race. 

In Clonmel, it was 3 laps on an 80k course, again they had a steep hill to cycle up 3 times where the men get separated from the boys.  Martin had another brilliant race to finish 4th overall in the C race...

29 APRIL 2007

Club Participation in Duathlon

Some of our many new club members took part in the duathlon with great success, some for the first time.  First home on the day was Martin Mitzgajski who is a seasoned triathlete, participating in Ireland for the first time.  He had a brilliant race to finish in 8th place in 1.03.52.  Colm Long had a great race to finish 30th overall in 1.13.17 with Martin Kirwan, participating in a duathlon for the first time ever, hot on his heels to finish 31st in 1.13.46. 

There was also a battle between 2 other members new to the sport who were also making their debut here with James Benson and Pat Giles coming in 36th and 37th in 1.15.03 and 1.15.24 respectively.  Pat, who had run in the Butlerstown 5k the night before found the 2nd run on the day harder than he expected and experienced “jelly legs” off the bike so he was delighted with his result. David Brazil was one of the favourites on the day but he was unlucky to get a puncture on the first lap on the bike so he had to retire.

Butlerstown 10k

Last Saturday evening almost 250 runners lined up outside the IDA centre to take part in the annual Butlerstown road race.  Most of these were taking part in the 10k race with others in the 5k race.  It was a cool evening for the race, perfect running conditions as most people heated up quite quickly as soon as they hit the hill at the start of the 2nd mile.  At least Pat Giles and Olive O’Brien only had to run up the hill once as they had opted to do the 5k race.  Both are well capable to do 10k running but Pat was playing it safe as he was taking part in the Waterford Duathlon the following day.  Even so, he ran a brilliant race and finished 1st overall.  Olive, who is doing a lot of running lately had never actually done a road race before so this was her first experience.  She was delighted to finish in 27minutes and can now wear the t-shirt proudly.

In the 10k race, Davin Power was first from the club home in 39.25 mins, a great time considering he had done a 23mile fast time-trial cycle before hand as part of his training.  Noel Dillon was next home in 42.13 mins, a bit slower than what he is capable of but he had gone out cycling the cycling club in the morning so his legs were quite tired. 

PJ Tobin also ran a great race and was next home in 44.04 mins.  Helen Whyte, who has been doing a lot of running lately was delighted to finish in 48.59mins, her fastest time in a long time.  Next home was Niamh Sullivan in 54.04mins, but she got a bad stitch in the race and suffered most of the way around. 

Wedding Bells

Congratulations to Niamh Sullivan and Davin Power, members of the Club, who got engaged last week.  There were huge celebrations all round as it was both their birthdays the same weekend also.  It’s a wonder they were recovered enough to race so well last Saturday.

17 APRIL 2007

Marine Climb

Last weekend almost 200 athletes took part in the annual Marine Climb road race in Dungarvan which is the first race of the Ger Wyley Sports Summer series.  This is a testing race with 6 miles of hardship especially on a hot sunny evening like last week.  But this didn’t deter Pat Giles, who has done this race a few times.  He ran a brilliant race to finish 50th overall in 42mins 41secs.

Plassey 10K

Last weekend, 14th April, Noel Dillon travelled to Limerick to take part in the annual Plassey 10k run. There were 250 competitors taking part. The course was set in the scenic grounds of the University of Limerick. Noel had a great race to finish 15th overall in a time of 40mins, 50 seconds.

Fermoy Cycle Race

Amid glorious sunshine last Sunday, Shane Scadding, Davin Power and Barry Murray travelled to Fermoy to try their hand at a cycle race.  This was the first time that Davin or Barry did a cycle race but they weren’t a bit nervous before the start.  It was a 4 lap course over 51 miles with Davin having a bad start as he fell off his bike in a static position even before the race began.  We thought that would be the end of his bad luck but as he started lap 3 he frightened all around him with a loud bang as his tyre blew up so he had to retire from the race.  Shane and Barry did well to finish in the main bunch averaging 23mph for the duration of the race.

Connemara Half Marathon

Catherine Galvin travelled all the way to Connemara to participate in the half marathon along with hundreds of other runners.  It was a very hilly course but probably one of the most scenic routes in Ireland which kept her going as she ran well to finish in 1hr 58mins...

24 MARCH 2007

Waterford AC 5k Spring Series Road Races

Two weeks ago when most people were suffering from a hangover after St. Patrick’s day 115 runners took part in the first of the Waterford AC 5k Spring Series road races in Waterford.  Barry Murray was first of our club home with a great run to finish 7^th overall in 18.13mins with David Brazil hot on his heels to finish 9^th overall in 18.15mins. Liam Lowe dusted off his racing shoes for the event and had a great run to finish in 24.16mins.

Last weekend was week 2 of the series in which 121 runners took to the road.  David Brazil put in a great performance to finish in 8^th place overall in 17.54mins, taking 21secs off his previous week’s time.  Pat Giles ran a hard race to finish in 32^nd place in 20.30mins.  Next Sunday is the 3^rd and final race in this series.

Moyglass 4 Miler

Elsewhere, Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte travelled to Moyglass, Tipperary to take part in their annual St. Patrick’s day 4 mile road race.  There was a high standard of runners among the 80 participants and Shane did well to finish 13^th overall in 22.59mins taking 1 minute off last year’s time.  Helen also had a great race to finish in 32.30mins, 1^st in the over 35 category, taking a huge 2.30mins off last years time.

Carrick Cycle Race

Back closer to home, PJ Tobin and John Power took part in the annual St. Patrick’s day cycle race in Carrick-on-Suir.  This consisted of a 3 lap race totalling 99k.  This was PJ’s first time doing a cycle race so both he and John did great to finish in the main bunch.

Dungarvan 10k

A few weeks ago the 25^th annual Eason Dungarvan 10k road race took place in Dungarvan.  Over 210 runners took part in this popular race with some very fast times being ran.  Keith Radley ran his first race this year with great results to finish 25^th overall in 38.03mins. Alan Murphy also put in a great performance to finish in 37^th place overall in 39.24mins...

17 MARCH 2007

Novice B Champs

Last Sunday Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte travelled to Coolquill in Tipperary to compete in the County Novice B Road Championships.  It was an undulating course made more difficult by the windy conditions.  The mens race was 5k in which Shane tucked in behind the leaders on the outward run and then made his breakaway on the homeward stretch to win easily in 17mins 13secs.  His club, Ballynonty AC, came 1^st overall also. Helen’s race consisted of 3k, which she ran hard to come home in 13mins 59secs which she was delighted with.

Wicklow Race

Meanwhile, Barry Murray braved the elements in the Wicklow mountains to compete in a 10k race over very rough terrain which involved lots of rocks and rivers.  He had a great race to finish 15^th overall.

Ballycotton 10

05 MARCH 2007

Last Sunday over 160 runners travelled to Kilmacthomas to participate in the Bausch & Lomb 5 mile road race.  The weather was lovely if not a little windy but that didn’t stop everyone having a good race.  Alan Murphy who seems to have developed a love for racing recently ran a great race to finish 35^th overall in 30mins 16secs.  Seasoned runner Pat Giles also had a great race to finish 53^rd overall in 32mins 34secs.  Dan Murphy, new to road racing, was delighted with his time of 39misn 13secs.

The previous week almost 150 runners took part in the postponed Baldy Man run in Tramore.  This was an 8k run down the beach and around the sand hills which is a bit more interesting then your normal run. It is a tough and technical race so times would not be exceptionally fast.  Four members of the club decided to take on this challenge with great results...

27 FEBRUARY 2007

Kilmacthomas 5 Miles

Last Sunday over 160 runners travelled to Kilmacthomas to participate in the Bausch & Lomb 5 mile road race.  The weather was lovely if not a little windy but that didn’t stop everyone having a good race.  Alan Murphy who seems to have developed a love for racing recently ran a great race to finish 35th overall in 30mins 16secs.  Seasoned runner Pat Giles also had a great race to finish 53rd overall in 32mins 34secs.  Dan Murphy, new to road racing, was delighted with his time of 39misn 13secs

The Baldy Man

The previous week almost 150 runners took part in the postponed Baldy Man run in Tramore.  This was an 8k run down the beach and around the sand hills which is a bit more interesting then your normal run. It is a tough and technical race so times would not be exceptionally fast.  Four members of the club decided to take on this challenge with great results. 

Barry Murray was first of the club home to finish 16th overall in 35mins 47secs.  Close on his heels was Alan Murphy who came home 17th overall in 37mins 13secs.  Pat Giles finished 44th overall with a time of 39mins 54secs with Declan McGrath not far behind in 56th place to finish in 41mins 24secs.

Clonmel Road Race

Elsewhere Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte took part in a Novice County Road race in Clonmel.  Shane’s race consisted of 4 miles in which he finished 10th overall in a terrific 21mins 58secs.  Helen was delighted when she found out she only had to run 2 miles until she realised it would be a 2 mile sprint instead of a longer slower run.  She managed to hang on in the middle of the field and finished in a time of 14mins 15secs, her fastest time in years!

Open Day

Waterford Triathlon Club held it’s Open day last Sunday in the Tower Hotel.  There was great interest and lots of people dropping in to chat to club members and to find out what’s involved in training for and participating in Triathlons, duathlons and aquathlons.

21 FEBRUARY 2007

Dungarvan 10 Mile

Pat Giles was our only competitor in the10mile road race recently in Dungarvan.  It was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for running.  Pat had a great race to finish in 1hr 10mins, exactly the time he hoped to do it in.

Winter League

Last Thursday saw the final run of the Winter League.  It was a huge success with over 600 runners registered to run over the 12 weeks with an average of over 270 each night.  13 members of Waterford Triathlon Club took part in the league with everyone improving on their time towards the end of it. 

Alan Murphy was the most improved over the duration taking a whopping 3mins 21secs off his first night’s time coming home in 33.23mins on the last night. Noel Dillon was next best improved taking another huge 2mins 53secs off his original time to finish in 34.01mins on his best night.  Shane Scadding was next best to take off 2mins 50secs off his original time to do the run in 30.35mins on his best night, one of the fastest times overall.  Niamh Sullivan was next improved to take 2mins 41secs off her original time to complete the run in 43.02 on her best night.  Helen Whyte was next best as she took 2mins 15secs off her original time to come home in 43.28mins on her best night.  Barry Murray was next improved with his best time on the last night of 31.52mins taking 1.53mins off his first night. 

Newcomer Olive O’Brien only started the league with 3 runs left but managed to take a huge 1min 45secs off her original time on the last night to come home first on the night in 47.19mins. Michael Carroll was next improved to take 1min 28secs off his original time to finish in 43.46 on his best night. PJ Tobin has been working hard as this running over the last few weeks and it showed as he took 58 secs off his original time to finish in 38.58mins on the last night. Declan McGrath was next best improved as he took 38secs off his first nights time to finish in 36.57misn.  Liam Lowe took 30secs off his first nights time to finish in 42.24 on his best night.  Pat Giles took 27secs off his first nights time to come home in 43.12 on his best night.  David Brazils best time was 30.17mins which was one of the fastest times overall.

After the run last week there was a night out in Mount Sion centre with plenty of prizes and food for everyone with music and dancing.  The Waterford Roadrunners also donated lots of money to various organisations and clubs.  Everyone who took part in the races and who helped organise the league should feel proud at how great the whole event went.

See below for times of our members during the league campaign...

15 FEBRUARY 2007

It has been a very busy few weeks for club members with the Winter League still going strong and some trying their hand at road racing. 

Winter League

The last two weeks have seen near perfect weather conditions for the Thursday night runs so many have run their best times yet.  Barry Murray who had missed a few weeks was back with a vengeance as he took huge 1.33mins off his previous best to come home in 32.12mins.  PJ Tobin, who was stuck in a rut for a while ran two personal best times the last two weeks coming home in 38.27 last Thursday.  All that hill running and track sessions are paying off.  Noel Dillon was a few minutes slower than usual last week but he had run a hard 2 hour run the previous night so it was expected.  The previous week saw him run a pb when he came home in 34.22mins. Niamh Sullivan has improved enormously over the last few weeks setting two pb’s the last 2 weeks, finishing in 43.02mins last Thursday.  Helen Whyte who started a minute ahead of her had a hard job keeping her behind but she also managed a pb on the night taking 50secs of her previous best to come home in 43.49mins.

Olive O’Brien just started the league 2 weeks ago and initially wanted to run the shorter route but was persuaded to do the 5.2miles.  She had great runs to do 49.04mins and 50.33mins respectively for the two weeks. Pat Giles also had a great run last week to do his fastest time yet in 34.34mins taking 22secs off his previous best.

The previous week, Shane Scadding ran his best time so far to come home in 30.45mins taking a huge 1.16mins off his previous best.  Michael Carroll also had a great night to finish in 43.46mins, 1.10mins faster than his previous best. Alan Murphy came home in 34.12 mins, beating his previous best by 26secs.

Mount Sion Race

A few club members decided to kickstart their racing season by participating in the Mount Sion 5 mile road race a few weeks ago where 200 runners took part.  Alan Murphy was first of the club home in 32.54mins finishing a brilliant 29th overall.  His brother Dan Murphy came home in 41.23mins.  Niamh Sullivan was delighted with her performance as she finished in 45.01mins.

21 JANUARY 2007

Last Thursday night saw almost 300 runners line up for Week 7 of the Winter League.  With holidays and Christmas season over many of the club were back to see how their fitness stood and were a bit nervous starting off.

Liam Lowe had a great run to finish first on the night coming home in a time of 43.28mins, slightly slower than his previous fast time but much better than his time last week which I won’t mention but was more of a sight-seeing run.  We’ll put it down to the mince pies.  Shane Scadding was next home in 15th place in his best time yet of 32.01mins taking 38secs off his last time.  Noel Dillon also had a brilliant race to finish in his best time yet of 35.21mins managing to run 18secs faster than his previous fastest time.

Alan Murphy ran a hard race to come home in 36.37mins, slightly slower than his previous times but admits he didn’t do much training over the Christmas so should be back in form soon. PJ Tobin also ran a hard race to finish in 39.29mins slightly down on previous times but faster than last week which was 39.44mins. Helen Whyte was also back after a break and came home in 45.18mins, down a bit on her fastest time but not her slowest!

The previous week Declan McGrath ran a great race to come home in 36.57mins his fastest time yet by 35secs.  David Brazil also had a brilliant race to finish in 31mins, one of the fastest times overall.

With Christmas now over and the new year here, there is no more putting training off until another day so we are all looking forward to upcoming races which will be starting soon. The end of January sees the first of the duathlons with the first triathlon on in April.

27 NOVEMBER 2006

It was week 3 of the Winter League and an even bigger crowd than last week turned up to run on this windy night, with 350 people lining up at the start including 60 new faces.  It was handicapped starts for everyone again with the slowest starting off first.  There was a great turnout from Waterford Triathlon Club with 9 runners on the night and Barry Murray lending a hand at marshalling.

First off was Helen Whyte who was feeling a bit of pressure with Michael Carroll starting 30secs behind her and Niamh Sullivan a further 30secs behind him. Helen ran hard for the first mile but she could hear the beeps of Michael’s heart rate watch close behind her at this stage but she fought him off for the rest of the run and managed to finish in 44.39mins taking 1min 4secs off her last time with Michael close behind in 44.56mins who also took 18secs off his last time. Niamh suffered a bit on the night but still had a very good time of 45.26mins.

David Brazil was one of the new faces on the night running for the first time.  He put in a brilliant performance finishing in 30.17mins, the 2nd fastest time on the night. Shane Scadding was also running for the first time, having been injured for a few weeks.  He had a great run also coming home in 33.25mins which was the 9th fastest time on the night.

Alan Murphy must be eating his porridge every day as he seems to be taking chunks off his time every week.  He has a brilliant run to come home in 34.39mins taking 35secs off his previous time. Noel Dillon had another great run to finish in 35.40mins but should have taken one or two longer strides somewhere as he was 1 second slower than the previous time. Declan McGrath ran another great time of 37.32mins, 3secs faster than his previous performance and PJ Tobin ran 2secs faster than his previous 2 races to come home in 38.54mins.

22 NOVEMBER 2006

Last Thursday evening it was week 2 of the Winter League and it saw an extra 100 new runners take to the road as part of a total of 342 to compete in either the 2.2mile or 5.2 mile road runs.  It was handicapped starts for everyone with the faster people starting behind the slower people at various times so most people finished together on the night. Fair play to the organisers for being able to get everyone’s place and times correctly with so many people coming in so fast. Michael Carroll was first from Waterford Triathlon Club home on the night in 45.14mins, knocking an amazing 4mins 14secs off last weeks time. Next in was Noel Dillon with another great run in 35.39mins beating last week’s time by 1 min 27secs.  Alan Murphy ran another great race in 35.14mins to knock of 1mins 30secs off last week’s time. Next home was Niamh Sullivan in 44.49mins bettering her time by 54secs from last week. Barry Murray was close behind to finish in 33.45mins, exact same time as the previous week with PJ Tobin coming in at 38.56mins, also the exact same time as the previous week. 

It was another brilliantly marshalled night with both the gardai and marshals doing a great job.  If anyone who is interested in participating in either of the runs any time, just come along to RSC at 6.30pm Thursday nights.

Also, for anyone interested in cycling, there is a group meeting at 10am on Saturday mornings at the Bank of Ireland, Browns rd, or 9.30am Sunday mornings, same place. 

15 NOVEMBER 2006

Marathon legs

Congratulations to Alan Smith and Noel Dillon who competed in the Dublin City Marathon recently. It was the first time that they attempted this gruelling distance and they put in an excellent performance considering they had not done a lot of training specifically for this race.  The triathlon season finished in September so they both started the long runs after that.  Alan came home in a time of 3hrs 26mins with Noel, who was nursing an injured knee finishing in 3hrs 36mins.An excellent achievement by both.

Winter League

The annual Winter League commenced again last Thursday night with an astounding 313 runners lined up at the start outside the RSC for the 2.5 mile and 5 mile road races.  It was an amazing sight so see the long line of yellow bibbed runners stretched out along the course.  Everyone started off together on the first night so from next week, based on times from last week, everyone will be starting at intervals.  We had 9 members from the Club take part on this perfect Autumn night with Shane Scadding giving a hand at marshalling as he has a running injury.  Barry Murray was first home in 33.45mins with Alan Murphy surprising us all with his excellent run in 36.44mins. Noel Dillon who must surely be still tired after his marathon recently did a brilliant 37.06 with Declan McGrath close behind in 37.35mins. PJ Tobin was in next in 38.56mins with Liam Lowe next in 42.54mins. Next in were Niamh Sullivan and Helen Whyte who managed a sprint finish round the last bend to finish in 45.43mins. Michael Carroll took it handy the first night to come home in 49.28mins.

Watch out for the upcoming weeks to see who has improved on their times.

22 OCTOBER 2006

Adventure Racing

At this time of year with all the duathlons and Triathlons now finished for a few months, everyone is trying to keep their training going in an interesting way so that it doesn’t become too mundane.  What better way to utilise your skills and fitness than to do an adventure race which puts all these to the test.  That’s exactly what Barry Murray did last weekend when he participated in an Adventure Race in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. The fist discipline which he and his 3 team-members had to get through was a 6k kayak on Blessington lake.  Each team was given grid references to mark out on a map as a check-point with a card to punch to show you were there. It was a calm sunny day so it went pretty smoothly apart from the aching arms. This was followed by an 8k hill run with many obstacles such as deep crevices, the lake and forest thrown in, which also required the skills of map reading and check-points.  The final part of the race was mountain biking which was mostly off road around the mountains and forests.  The race required the whole team to stay together for the duration so they had to push each other throughout.  Barry and his team had a great race to finish 3rd overall in 6hrs 15mins.

Blazing Saddles

John Lyons has just returned from Spain where he and about 60 other cyclists have been cycling up and down the mountains for 800k for the National Council for the Blind.  This testing cycle was done over 2 weeks with some of the climbs going up to 2100m in altitude.  One particular stage had a climb that took them about 3 and a half hours to reach the top of. The down hills were not much better with sheer drops to the side of the roads that required a lot of concentration.  John said he slowed to 15mph coming down some hills for safety reasons. Overall, it was a very tough and hilly race and congratulations to John for getting through it without any bother.

Waterford 2nd Overall

Waterford Triathlon Club did brilliant to finish 2nd overall out of 28 teams from all over Ireland in the Premier League with the second highest average points per club member.  Points are allocated to each affiliated Triathlon Ireland member for their best five races in different tiers. Everyone trained hard this year and enjoyed each race so it was a well deserved result.

Training

With the season finished until next Spring we are trying to make training interesting for the winter months.  At the moment this involves lots of running and cycling with circuit training, swimming lessons, spinning classes and much more added in.

25 SEPTEMBER 2006

The last Triathlon of this year took place recently in Dublin.  It was also the National Olympic distance Championships so it attracted a huge entry of over 500 competitors which is the largest number of entrants in any triathlon in Ireland.  Because of the large numbers there were 10 starts to the 1500m swim with the first one at 8am with a mist still rising off the river Liffey and a nip still in the air.  There was a prevalent sense of excitement until the last start at 10.30am as people were waiting around for their race to begin. After the swim it was a long run through transition to get the bike before completing the 5 lap 40k course in Phoenix Park.  It got a bit hectic there at times as there were a lot cyclists on the route with faster or slower cyclists from later swim starts joining in at all times.  The 10k run consisted of 2 and a half laps in the Phoenix park by which time the sun had come out so people were trying to run under trees for some shade.  

Ten members from the Club made the journey to compete in this final triathlon this year and with the various start times no one knew where they finished overall until the results were announced.  Shane Scadding, still having tired legs from the half Ironman the previous week, came home in 21st position in 2hrs 12mins.  Davin Power was next home in 45th place in 2hrs 18mins followed closely by Keith Radley who was competing in his first Olympic race in 2hrs 21mins in 62nd place.  Barry Murray was next home in 2hrs 31mins with Noel Dillon close behind in 2hrs 36mins. Next home was Declan McGrath in 2hrs 49mins with PJ Tobin who was completing his first Olympic race not far behind in 2hrs 51mins and Jenny Goor who had a great race to finish in 3hrs 7mins.  Liam Lowe who was also competing in his first triathlon had a brilliant race to finish in 3hrs 10mins.  Helen Whyte was unlucky to get a puncture with 3k left on the bike course so she took off her cycle shoes and ran barefoot with her bike to transition and then proceeded to do the 10k run.  Her legs almost gave up a few times but she managed to finish the race in 3hrs 44mins.

Everyone was delighted with their performance and it was a great finale to a great season.  There are still a few duathlons left followed by some road races and cross-country runs. 

Porridge Power

The morning of a race is always stressful with lots to do with getting everything ready for the race:-wetsuit, bike bits, running gear, etc-eating breakfast is usually the calmest event but for Davin Power it was the most hectic experience.  He was staying in a friend’s empty house in Dublin the night before the race. The morning of the race he tried to cook his porridge but found that there were no bowls so he used a cup.  He then found that there was no microwave and worse still, no saucepans so he conjured up all his culinary skills and cooked the porridge in the cup in the oven.  But 10mins isn’t quite long enough as he found out as he ate raw porridge!

Blazing Saddles

Best of luck to John Lyons who has just gone to Spain to take part in a 600k charity cycle with the Blazing Saddles.

10 SEPTEMBER 2006

Last Saturday we traveled to Kenmare Co. Kerry for the only half Ironman Triathlon to be held in Ireland.  This gruelling race, deemed to be one of the most difficult in Europe, is only for the hardy and consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 52 mile cycle followed by a 13.1 mile run.  It promised to be a lovely day as Shane Scadding, Alan Smith, John Power and Colm Long lined up with over 200 other competitors at 7.45am for the sea swim.  It was perfect conditions with a flat sea but a strong current threw many off course so they had to do a lot of extra work to get back on course.  This didn’t seem to bother Alan and Shane who had excellent swims to be out of the water in 6th and 11th place respectively in 23.05mins and 23.24mins.

They then headed out on the difficult cycle which included going over Healy Pass and the Caha pass over which some people have been known to push their bikes.  It was just as difficult coming down the very steep hills with some people getting speed wobbles on the bikes with speeds of up to 40mph.  Thankfully everyone got through it ok.  Shane had a great cycle posting the 8th fastest time overall with John and Alan both having times in the top 30. John was reminded the hard way about not unclipping his helmet before racking his bike as he received a 30 second “stand in the corner” penalty for doing just that.  Although he did utilise this time well to do a few stretches. He won’t forget next time!

The sun had come out in force for the run with many feeling the pressure of the hills.  Shane was first of the Club home after much walking on the run due to cramp to finish 13th overall in 4hrs 41mins.  Alan who was completing his first Half Ironman race was close behind after making up places in the run to finish in 21st overall in 4hrs 47mins.  John put in a brilliant performance in his first Half Ironman race and was delighted to come home in 71st position in 5hrs 20mins.  Colm, who only decided at the last minute to take someone else’s place was surely the bravest to try this hard course as he has not been training or competing in triathlons for very long.  He was elated to run over the finish line in 6hrs 5mins.

Later that evening you would never know that people had endured such a long and difficult race as everyone danced and partied long into the night.

28 AUGUST 2006

Lough Neagh

Two weeks ago we travelled to Ballyronan in the North to compete in their Olympic distance triathlon.  Heavy rain fell all Friday night and some of us were hoping it would continue into Saturday morning for the race so we could stay in bed but the sun came out and apart from a little wind, it was a perfect day. The 1500m swim took place in Lough Neagh which was lovely and flat.  Because there were over 300 competitors taking part, there were 4 starts to the swim with 5 minutes between each one. Because of this, no one knew where they were placed overall until the results came out as they had to be adjusted. The 40k cycle took place on closed roads which was necessary for safety reasons as it got a bit hectic with so many cyclists out there on the 4 lap course. The 10k run was also a 4 lap course on closed roads which was very enjoyable as everyone was shouting each other on as they went by. The only downfall was you thought you were catching someone only to realise they were a lap ahead when they headed towards to finish line and you still had more to do.

Shane Scadding was first of the club home after a bad swim, to finish 18th overall in 2hrs 11mins. Davin Power had a great race to finish 30th overall in 2hrs 15mins a personal best for this distance.  Barry Murray came next in 2hrs 28mins followed by a delighted Noel Dillon who had a personal best time of 2hrs 33mins with Colm Long home in 2hrs 51mins.  Helen Whyte completing her first Olympic race this year proved that it is possible to do so with virtually no training although it did take her 3hrs 26mins.  Just as well she had that picnic on the bike.

Comeragh Cycle Race

Last Sunday, the Comeragh Cycling Club & AOL hosted a cycle race around the Waterford area. There were about 100 cyclists taking part in the 2 races run consecutively with the C’s starting first and the A’s and B’s 5mins later.  There were a few breakaway groups in each race with the majority of cyclists staying in one big bunch.  John Power, who was doing a cycle race for the first time, took part in the C’s race which had about 60 cyclists.  They had a 4 lap course over 90k. He had a brilliant race to finish in the main bunch.  Declan Mcgrath also took part in this race and cycled hard for the whole race but found the pace hard coming towards the finish and finished just behind the main bunch.  Those who could not take part in the race, Barry Murray, John Lyons, Vincent Ryan, Michael Carroll and Davy Brazil helped out with marshalling.

22 AUGUST 2006

Club members have been travelling far and wide for races over the last few weeks. Two weeks ago, Noel Dillon travelled all the way to Castlewellan Co. Down for this Olympic distance race with over 300 other competitors. The 1500m swim was enjoyable followed by a fast 40k bike section but it was the 10k cross-country run which caused a bit of hardship for people as they had to endure a nasty hill twice on this 2 lap course.  Noel had a great race to finish it in 2hrs 42mins.

Last weekend there was a choice of two races. Keith Radley travelled to Carlingford in Co. Louth to compete in this 1000m swim, 32k cycle and 8k run. It was a lake swim which is usually nice and flat but the strong winds that surfaced on race morning resulted in the swim being shortened to 700m for safety reasons. The competitors still had to contend with huge waves and swells so it was hard to breathe and stay on course. The wind was a help on the outward section of the bike but the last 4k home was difficult with that same wind in their faces. It was a similar experience for the run with the wind blowing strongly against them for final run to the finish. This is the longest Triathlon that Keith has done so far as this is his first year and he had a brilliant race to finish 26th overall in 1hr 38mins.

The following day a few other members travelled to Blessington Co. Wicklow for a Sprint distance race along with over 230 other competitors. This was another lake swim which went pretty smooth but there was a long steep run out to transition which caught a few people. The 20k cycle course was a bit undulating with a flat 5k run to follow. First home from the club was Davin Power who is having a great season this year.  He finished 14th overall in 1hr 06mins. Barry Murray was next home to finish 32nd in 1hr 13mins.  Noel Dillon, who seems to be doing a race almost every weekend, came home in 1hr 16mins followed closely by Declan Mcgrath in 1hr 17mins. PJ Tobin also had a great race to finish in 1hr 21mins.

For more details and to see some photos, see www.waterford-triathlon.com.

07 AUGUST 2006

Last weekend it was every man, woman and mad person for themselves as Mother Nature let us know that she’s in charge and once again gave us her worst.  It was a miserable morning in Kinsale as we lined up for the King of the Hill Sprint distance triathlon.  It was quite windy for the swim so the sea was rough with a few people unable to finish it.  By the time we got on our bikes the rain had gotten heavier with gusts of winds making it very unpleasant with some of wondering what we were doing out there!  The sun came out for the run, well, for those of us who were still running at that stage, although the weather was the least of our worries as soon as we tried to run up that hill!  None of this put off the hardy members of the club who travelled down to compete.  First home was Alan Smith who was also representing the Fire Service who were incorporating their Championships into the same race.  He had a brilliant race to finish in 1hr 6mins and to finish 1st overall in the Fire Service Champs.  Next home was Noel Dillon who is racing loads at the moment in 1hr 18mins followed closely by Ian McNulty in 1hr 19mins.  Helen Whyte was delighted to finish in 1hr 40mins.

The previous week, we travelled to Bray and Youghal. Noel Dillon was our soul representative in Bray for their Sprint distance race.  There was a strong current for the swim making it very difficult to stay on course.  Everyone found it difficult with the swim times reflecting this.  Noel had a great race though and finished in 1hr 28mins.

At the same time in Youghal, Keith Radley, John Power and John Lyons were racing hard.  Keith, competing in only his 3rd ever triathlon, had a brilliant race to finish 19th overall in 1hr 4mins posting one of the fastest run times overall.  John Power was next home in 1hr 8mins having had one of the fastest cycle times overall.  John Lyons, who is training hard recently came home in 1hr 30mins.

Vincent Ryan, meanwhile was in sunny Italy representing Ireland in the Atlantic Challenge Contest of Seamanship.  He was on a boat with twelve others on the international team.  They had to row and sail the boat in various races and disciplines, some over 2 miles to display speed and skill. His team finished 8th overall out of 16.  He should be able to concentrate more on his triathlon training once again now that he has finished this race.

17 JULY 2006

It has been a very busy few weeks for Waterford Triathlon Club with members taking part in races all over Ireland.  Last Sunday, amid a heat wave, most of us traveled to Carrick on Suir for their annual Sprint Triathlon where over 250 competitors took part. All the males went in the first start of the 750m swim with the females 5 mins later.  The water was beautifully cool before we headed out into the mid-day sun for the 20k cycle and 6k run.  Thankfully there was plenty sun-block being passed around but there were still a few red faces afterwards.  The roads were closed to traffic so it made for a very fast and safe bike section.  Shane Scadding was first of the club home in 1hr 5mins, 7th overall with Alan Smith next in 1hr 9mins, 24th place.  Davin Power was next home in 1hr 12mins followed closely by newcomer to Triathlons Keith Radley in 1hr 13mins.  Barry Murray completed the race in 1hr 15mins with John Power not far behind in 1hr 17mins.  Ian McNulty, doing his first bit of exercise in a few weeks had a strong finish in 1hr 23mins with Declan McGrath coming in at 1hr 25mins and PJ Tobin in 1hr 27mins.  Next in were the females with Helen Whyte struggling with the heat to finish in 1hr 42mins and Jenny Goor, who is only just back training finishing in 1hr 52mins.

The second race had over 70 competitors and consisted of a 500m swim, with the bike and run distances the same as the first race.  Alan Murphy was the only one from the club to compete in this race.  He was a bit nervous before the start as this was only his second ever triathlon but his fears were unfounded as he has an excellent race to finish 3rd overall in 1hr 13mins. Everyone had a great day and really enjoyed the race which was very well organised.

Meanwhile, John Lyons was out doing a charity cycle for the blind.  If we thought we had a tough day, imagine John on his bike doing 206k, much further than he had ever cycled previously, in the baking sun.  He was close to giving up a few times but he persevered to complete the cycle in 8hrs 10mins. An excellent achievement.

The previous weekend, amid total opposite conditions, a few of us travelled to Connemara to compete in an Olympic distance triathlon with over 300 other competitors. The weather was horrendous for racing, with many people not even starting the race.  There were 4 swim starts according to age and gender, so some people were hanging around a long time in the rain beforehand especially the females who started last.  Helen Whyte who is not a strong swimmer at the best of times was very brave to even attempt the swim as the sea was very rough with hugh waves and swells. She only made it to the first buoy, about 300m out of the 1500m, when she decided to retire from it as she was going nowhere and it was just too forceful. Shane Scadding made it through the swim in a good time but was unlucky to get a puncture 7 miles into the cycle so he also retired.  Davin Power was the first of the Club home in an excellent time of 2hrs 37mins to finish 22nd overall, 2nd in his age-group.  Barry Murray found the swim difficult but still managed to have a good race to finish in 2hr 57mins with Noel Dillon close behind in 2hrs 59mins. It was a credit to anyone who finished this race as it was easily the worst ever conditions seen at a race.  Meanwhile in Athlone, Declan Mcgrath was battling the elements in his Sprint distance race and had a very good race to complete it in 1hr 26mins.

26 JUNE 2006

The first Olympic distance Triathlon this year took place in Kilkee last weekend with about 400 athletes taking part. Aptly named “The Hell of the West”, it consisted of a 1500m swim, 45k cycle and 10k run.  The weather turned out to be much sunnier than it looked and there were many red noses and arms going around. There were 2 starts to break up the masses starting off together in the swim with 10 mins between each one.  Hence it was difficult to see what position people finished in until the results were announced later as times had to be adjusted. Seven club members put their training to the test here with some wishing they had done a bit more in preparation especially for the hilly run.  Shane Scadding had another great race to finish 10th overall in 2hrs 20mins, 2nd in his age-group.  Davin Power did brilliant despite a mechanical problem with his bike to come home in 2hrs 36m mins.  Barry Murray ran strong and was next home in 2hrs 45mins followed closely by John Power, competing for the first time this year, in 2hrs 46mins with Noel Dillon finishing in 2hrs 52mins.  Ian McNulty’s hard training paid off for him to complete the course in 3hrs 2mins but he may be walking funny for a few days.  John Lyons who was doing his first race this year finished in 3hrs 45mins with enough energy left over to compete in a 60k charity cycle the following day.

Next Saturday our Club is holding a Triathlon in Dunmore East commencing at 12pm. With nearly 300 athletes taking part it is an event that everyone should try to watch as it will be very exciting.

15 JUNE 2006

It has been a very busy last two weeks for the Club.  Two weeks ago Noel Dillon travelled to San Francisco to complete the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.  Over 1600 competitors took part in this 2.4k swim, 29k cycle and 13k run.  At 8am competitors plunged into the icy cold waters with deadly currents and swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco bay.  They then had to run a mile to get their bikes to complete a very difficult cycle and then endure a savage run which included running up 400 steep steps to the top of a cliff.  Noel had a very good race to finish 697^th in 3hrs 14mins.

The same weekend back home Barry Murray competed in the Irish Duathlon Championships in Phoenix Park. This consisted of a 10k run, 40k cycle and 5k run. Barry did a great time of 2hrs 17mins to complete a race that many find more difficult than triathlons.

Last weekend we travelled to Newry to compete in the Irish National Sprint Championships of a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run in which over 240 competitors lined out.  The weather stayed sunny but it was very windy for the lake swim which caused the water to be very choppy and made for a very unpleasant bike ride also as it was very undulating.  Most people were glad to get to the run stage.  Shane Scadding put in a great performance and was awarded with a bronze medal to finish 3^rd in his age-group, 19^th overall in 1hr 3mins. Davin Power, racing for the first time this year has a brilliant race to finish 44^th overall in 1hr 7mins. Barry Murray was next home after another great race in 1hr 14mins.  Helen Whyte, who was competing for the first time this season came home in 1hr 35mins.

Next Sunday most of us will be travelling to Bonmahon where their annual Triathlon takes place at 12 noon. Entry is available on the day.

29 MAY 2006

Last weekend some of the club took part in their first Triathlon this year, which was held in the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. It consisted of a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.  Thankfully the rain cleared up but it got very windy instead so it was a hard battle for the cycle and run.  There was over 260 athletes taking part in three swim starts consisting of 10 lanes with about 10 people per lane. It was manic just looking at it so you can imagine being part of it.  Shane Scadding put in a brilliant performance, especially on the bike and run, to finish 7th overall in a time of 1hr 5mins.  Barry Murray also had a great race to finish 70th in 1hr 19mins.  Declan McGrath, who is quite new to the sport, came home in 1hr 31mins.

Next weekend Noel Dillon travels to San Francisco to attempt what the inmates from the maximum security prison could not do....Escape from Alcatraz.  He takes part in the Triathlon of the same name which consists of a 2.4k swim, 29k cycle and 13k run. We wish him the best of luck in this difficult race.

22 MAY 2006

Last weekend Martin Mizgajski traveled to Lanzarote and fulfilled his dream in completing his first Ironman. This particular course has always been referred to as difficult and it was no different this time.  With gusts of up to 72kph and blistering heat in the lava fields to contend with it was a great achievement for Martin to finish 189th overall out of nearly 1000 competitors.  He completed the 3.8k swim in 58.56mins and had a great bike section to complete the 180k cycle in 6hrs 14mins.  He suffered a bit on the run, falling twice and getting sunburned but achieved a terrific 4hrs 04mins for the 42k run.  He finished 6th in his age-group (20-24) in a time of 11hrs 24mins. A fantastic result for someone so young.  Definitely one to watch for the future.

Elsewhere, many of the Club competed in the Butlerstown 10k on Saturday night.  There was a huge crowd of almost 400 competitors for the 10k and 5k races.  Shane Scadding did a 23mile time-trial cycle just prior to the race and still managed to run a great time of 37.04mins finishing 21st overall.  Davin Power was the next club member home in another great time of 38.11mins followed closely by Barry Murray in 38.56mins finishing 27th and 33rd respectively.  Next home in 38th position was Keith Radley in 39.35mins, Noel Dillon in 41.37mins and Declan McGrath in 43.41mins. Niamh O’Sullivan competed in her first ever road race and all her hard training paid off as she ran a brilliant time of 52.45mins. Helen Whyte was supposed to run the 10k but with the temptation of running past the finish on the second lap of the course turned in to the finish after 5k.

The Triathlon that we are holding in Dunmore East on Sat. 1st July is almost full.  If anyone wants to enter please get your entry forms in quickly.

15 MAY 2006

Last week Noel Dillon competed in his second race this year which was held in Limerick. It consisted of a 1000m pool swim followed by a 32k cycle and 8k run. A pool swim can be a bit daunting for some as it means swimming with up to 6 people per lane, five lanes per start with over 180 competitors. But it was no problem to Noel who followed it with a great cycle and run to finish 84th overall in 2hrs 6mins.

Last Sunday Shane Scadding competed in a 74k cycle race in Dungarvan. Cycle races are still a bit new to Shane who would be used to cycling on his own in a triathlon but he cycled hard and finished in the main field to complete the course in under 2hrs.

Next week Martin Mizgajski travels to Lanzarote to compete in his first Ironman competition.  He has been training hard for the past few months for this race which consists of a 3800m swim, 180k cycle and 42k run. We would like to wish him the best in this race.

Also, a reminder that we are holding a Triathlon in Dunmore East on 1st July this year. This will consist of a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 6k run. Application for relay teams also available. A few of us from the Club are going to test out the course next Sunday 21st May by doing each event as a group.  If anyone is interested in participating please meet in carpark at 10am with all your gear, wetsuit, etc.

24 APRIL 2006

The first outdoor triathlon this year took place last weekend on Valentia Island. Co. Kerry.  Some people still think it may be a bit too cold to venture into the sea this early in the year but not for Noel Dillon who is the first in the club to compete this season. The race consisted of a 600m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.  For the swim, the athletes had to get the ferry from the island to the mainland and swim back to the island.  They then cycled and ran around the island.  Noel had a bad swim after he followed someone who went a bit out of the way but had a brilliant cycle and run to finish 28th overall in a time of 1hr 17mins.  This is a great start to his season.  His main aim this year is to do well in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco in June.

06 MARCH 2006  

The season has started again after a break for a few months over the winter period.  The first races every season are traditionally duathlons which some people find more difficult than triathlons as there are two runs. Last weekend Vincent Ryan travelled to Limerick to compete in his first ever duathlon.  He only started training for and competing in triathlons last year and has trained hard over the winter.  The race consisted of a 3.8k run, 16k cycle followed by a 3.8k run.  It was a cold windy day so he and the other 80 competitors were very brave to face the elements.  He was delighted with his performance, completing the course in 1hr 06min.

Elsewhere, Davin Power and Barry Murray competed in the 5mile road race in Kilmacthomas.  Just to make things more difficult on themselves and to get a good training session done, they both cycled from Waterford to Kilmacthomas to compete in the race and then cycled back to Waterford again.  They completed the race in 29mins 30secs and 30mins 15secs respectively.  An excellent performance considering their tired legs.

Last weekend, another Club member, Noel Dillon took part in the Ballycotton 10 mile road race, one of the largest races in Ireland attracting over 4000 competitors from all over the world.  It was a cold and frosty day but everyone soon warmed up as the race got underway.  Noel put in a great performance to complete the race in 1hr 11mins. 

Next weekend sees the last of the duathlons in Limerick but it will be followed soon after by some pool swim triathlons.  For further information, please contact Shane on 087 9234089.

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