Category Archives: triathlon

Tri trio – Fingal sprint 2009

Last Sunday myself and Frank competed in another sprint triathlon and managed to convince Alan to join us  – the Fingal Sprint 2009 was a great success despite the weather and a phantom puncture.

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Myself and Frank were in the same lane for the swim which was great as it gave me someone I knew to chase  in the pool (he kicked my ass!).

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Franks in the red cap, I’m in the white.

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I managed to knock over 8 minutes off last years time and came a respectable 48th/280 with a time of 1:15:10.

I did get a phantom puncture which I only realised when putting the bike back on the car after the race – very lucky it didn’t happen in the race.

Alan was so cocky during his first transition (wardrobe change) he even went for a tuna-melt bagel (I’m not too sure I believe this but it’s the only way to explain the three and a half minute transition 🙂 )

Till next year..

Thanks to Frank’s wife Nicola for the photos 🙂

Triathlon number 3 – Llanrwst 2008

Last weekend I completed my third triathlon (Llanrwst tri 2008) but this time it was in Wales (where I live now). It was a 400m swim in a very small 20m pool, 25km bike ride on a surprisingly hilly course and finally a 5km run on a very hilly course which was half road and half off-road in a forest. It was a great day and I was very happy with my times and my position (23rd/172). My speedo on my bike decided to stop showing me my speed so I had to rely on how much my thighs were burning and my Garmin 405 to know how I was doing. Pete’s Dad took the photo below of me coming out of the second transition and starting my run. Despite the smile my legs were on fire and felt like jelly after the bike.

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Lake Garadice 2008 (triathlon number 2)

On Sunday last myself and big Frank borrowed my mum’s car (as it has a hitch) and drove across to Leitrim with our bikes and butterflies in our bellies. Frank did the same race last year and said he really enjoyed and it was my first open water race. This was meant to be my first race but I managed to get a place in the Fingal Sprint in the last few days.

It was a great race but I was very very nervous before it as I had never swam that far in open water before. Even the swim to the starting line seemed daunting. The klaxon for the start of the swim went and pandemonium ensued. Most people were forcing their way forward but I think I was the only one pushing people in front of me to try and get as far back as I could. I took it very easy stopping to breast stroke every 30-50 metres to catch my breath. I finally made it to the bike transition (somehow managing to take a minute off my Fingal swim time). It was no wonder the swim was so sluggish when you consider my wetsuit filled with water – thanks Lidl!!!.

I danced and fumbled my way out of my suit and onto my bike and and off down the road. It was a tough bike ride with plenty of hills but I got a good time (taking a minute off Fingal again). The transition from bike to run was easier this time as I had remembered to tie my laces before the race this time. I had a good week of running training before the race and knew I could make some time on the run. That I did – coming tenth over all on the run leg of the race.

My official race results.

0:19:12 (Position in the swim leg – 143rd /152)

0:01:31 transition from swim to bike

0:39:56 (Position in the run leg – 64th /152)

0:00:43 transition from bike to run

0:21:05 (Position in the run leg – 10th /152)

1:22:26 (Overall position 63rd /152)

As you can see my swim needs ALOT of work.

Frank came 34th overall, only 4 outside his personal goal for this year of being in top 20%. The bottom photo is Mark – Sarahs boyfriend who did his first official tri coming an amazing 33rd.

One thing I did learn from the race was that I didn’t eat enough carbs after as I got a little too tipsy too easily on Sunday night and I had a huge sugar low on Monday morning (I was the laughing stock at training) which was quickly fixed with two lion bars, a moro, a pack of skittles and a bottle of Pepsi – I still feel like crap two days later. I haven’t eaten that much sugar in months.

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3dtri took 444 photos of the event and they’re all up on flickr.

My first sprint triathlon – Fingal sprint

IMG_2646_cropped This year Frank convinced me to join him in training for a sprint triathlon. I agreed and last weekend was my first (fingalsprint.3dtri.com). It was tough – real tough. I’m not a strong swimmer and I was punished severally in the swim – somehow I was placed in the fast group and ended up being the very very last person in the pool (funny when you look back on it).

I then ran out and after numerous failed attempts managed to get changed (at one stage I had my head and my arm out my head hole on my shirt). I jumped on my bike and cycled as hard as I ever have all the way from the NAC to Kilbride (near where I live) and back. Then it was attempting to change again and with adrenaline racing through me, it wasn’t easy.

IMG_2661_cropped After the 20km bike is the 5km run and it is the weirdest feeling ever, to run after pushing yourself on the bike – it’s like floating on air but really really slowly and it took about 1km before I managed to get anything like a reasonable pace going.

IMG_2659_cropped The official results are not out yet but I’m very chuffed with finishing and especially finishing the swim (I’d never done the 750m before with the pool in 50m mode). Frank got his time and it was a whopping 9 minutes or so faster than his time last year – well done dude (watch out next year – maybe I’ll be able to dress myself properly by then).

I don’t know how people do Iron Man competitions and the like, my hat goes off to them. Awesome stuff.

We’ve got another one @ Lake Garadice in a couple of weeks so it’s back training tonight. After that it’s all about the Dublin marathon. ps. The photos are courtesy of my mum who waited at the bike turning point for both myself and Frank.

I’ll update later with my official times.

Official Times

Overall Position 133  / 269
Swim 0:20:42    (236th)
Swim to Bike transition 01:28
Bike 0:40:07    (134th)
Bike to Run transition 0:00:54
Run 0:20:12    (41st)
Total time 1:23:23

Woohoo!!!!