Liam Dolan's Blog & Race Reports
My Bio
My sporting background involves cycling as a kid under 10s through to under 14s before I hung up my wheels. Cycling was always in the blood with both my Dad and eldest brother earning Ireland caps. In fact my Dad actually raced on the track with Eddy Mercx in Paris in the 70s.
After cycling I gave rugby a try and played until my early twenties, earning a few Leinster Under 18 caps. A brief flirtation with Taekwondo ensued while doing my Masters, but after busting opening a girl's eye by accident in training one night I never had the heart to go back.
I tried being a gym rat for a while, but quickly bored of being indoors all the time & decided to try a spot of running...
Then in 2004 I entered the inaugural Blackrock Triathlon and heavn't looked back.
- My body: Height - 1.86cm, Weight - 72kg, Age - 31
- Hometown: Dundalk, Ireland
- My Club: Setanta Triathlon Club
- Ironman Wisonconsin, USA
- Camlough Sprint Triathlon
- Big Cow Half Ironman, UK
- Camlough Triathlon, Camlough, Ireland: 4th Overall
- Ironman Germany, Frankfurt Germany: 60th overall, 14th in Age Group. Qualified for Hawaii
- Cookstown Half Ironman, Co. Tyrone, Ireland: 1st Overall
- Kilkenny Olympic Distance Triathlon, Kilkenny Ireland. 3rd Overall
- Ironman Hawaii, Kona, Hawaii, USA: 170th overall, 34th in Age Group
- Ridley Dean TRI Custom Build
- ZOOT Zenith 2 Wetsuit
- ZOOT Ultra Racesuit
- ZOOT Ultra TT 3.0 Shoes
- ZOOT Compress RX Active Clothing
Moria Demesne Park Ulster Cyclocross league 4th round Report
Ironman Hawaii; there is sun, a helicopter, TV cameras, boats, thousands of spectators, the crystal clear Pacific and 2,000 athletes. So what would my next race be?
I got my answer on the first Sunday of November. I stood in Moria Demesne Park in Lisburn for the 4th round of the Ulster Cyclocross league. Yes folks, Irish winters mean cyclocross. The set-up was a little different to Hawaii; it was bucketing down rain, freezing cold and the sand had been replaced by mud, lots of mud. It was so muddy that at times you literally had to dismount to clear the mud out of the area between the wheels and frame, front and back, as the build up had stopped the bike from moving.
Ahh cross, you have to love it. I have done a couple now and have had more adventures in mud, forests and trails. I am still crap at it, my results have varied from top 25 in the B race at Punchestown in the Fixx Cross Series (60+ starters), to second last, again in the B race in Belfast's Ormeau Park. In fairness I did have a 10min mechanical in this race, but in reality I am crap at it. So I am useless, it's cold, wet & muddy, why do I race cross? Well, it is such a laugh and I love the relaxed no pressure atmosphere. Last Sunday I raced in St. Annes Park in Raheny, the course was technical (I thought so anyway) and had some really scary drops and muddy sections.
But in between the crashes, hitting trees, trying to avoid falling into rivers, I loved it. When you got your lines right, managing to avoid the treeroots and flew down a drop and used the momentum to get you up the ridiculously steep incline, it was sheer bliss. The photo shows how crap it was when it goes wrong. Trying to pick yourself out of an accident and run up a slippy mud bath in a set of cycling shoes is hard work.
All your hard work of trying to stay upright is a joke when Roger Aiken or current National Champion Robyn Seymour come gliding past. They are so smooth on the bike and the mud has too much respect for them to clog up their wheels. They go round wet muddy 180 degree turns like they are on dry roads. The National Champs in January is being hosted by my cycling club Cuchulainn in Dundalk and the battle between those 2 should be epic.
Out from rolling in the mud I have being making the odd trip to the pool and ran around the short block once or twice. I am even trying a pilates class, where my inflexibility is a good source of amusement to others. Racing plans are being made for 2013, but definitely no Hawaii as I have a slightly more important event the day before!
IM Hawai Race Report - 297 th place, Total Time: 09:53:44
My 2012 season is over, my 9th if I include my inaugural year of 2004 when I did 2 try-a-tri races (one of which was sponsored by Cycle SuperStore, I got a voucher for 2nd & made my very first visit to the old shop in Tallaght). Having qualified on September 11th last year, October 13th 2012 was never far from my mind ever since. It took its time getting here but finally I was treading water in the Pacific agonisingly waiting for the clock to kill those last few minutes. Seriously if (touch wood) a doctor ever tells me I have 24 hours to live I am going to spend it on the turbo or waiting for an Ironman to start as nothing seems to prolong time like these.
I write this at almost 4am in Hawaii, 24 hours after I got up & have a grand total of 0 hours sleep. After big races, a combination of race day excitement, gels & caffeine mean sleep is not on the agenda. The WiFi has gone AWOL so I have not seen any results or had a chance to nerd over my splits yet. What I do know is that I didn't have a race that I am especially happy with! My swim at 1hr 35mins was a disaster, bad even for my limited swim speed. I always start right at the front & get pulled along for a few hundred meters by people swimming over, under & through me. Then it went pear shaped, it is so disheartening to see a 60+ woman swim past you with terrible form but yet not be able to hold their feet. Last time out here I was 1hr 25min-ish & back in March in Abu Dubai I had an outstanding swim, maybe it was a relatively slow day, but that slow?
The bike I just went out, rode hard, ate gels, a few bars, 1 pack of chomps & drank the on course Powerbar Perform like a student at a free beer party. I have no idea how much of that stuff plus water I got through. The most interesting though disturbing thing that I saw was a guy doing the bike in a belly top style tri suit & a pair of white Y-fronts! I had trouble believing this but seeing the said guy after the race confirmed the attire. I was wearing top class Zoot Ultra shorts with a healthy dose of DZ Nuts Chamois cream (protect your junk) & still have chafing down there that would bring tears to your eyes. I cannot imagine he did his child rearing ability any favours.
The run in Hawaii starts off with a 10 mile out & back on Alii Drive where the support is good, with plenty of colourful characters including a previous unknown superhero "Pissman", what exactly his powers were are are unknown however he wears red spandex head to tow along with white Y-fronts (a connection maybe??) & a cloak. This time I enjoyed the quite calm of the Queen K and energy lab, and was running well until mile 22. The pain was bad at this stage but only 3 walking breaks at aid stations & I finished strongly.
In overall terms not a race I was happy with, my training suggested a faster finish but sometimes you don't get what you deserve. It is a shame to finish with a bad result as it clouds your view of the season. Back in March I had an outstanding result in Abu Dhabi, also the Big Cow & Lost Sheep half-ironmans went well.
Once again a big word of thanks to Cycle SuperStore for their support throughout the year. A Look bike & Zoot clothing meant I wanted for nothing, and bike servicing and spare parts were only a phone call away. USN Nutrition also helped out this year & a full review of what I took is on the website.
So what's next? Well at the finish line I got down on one knee & asked Annette to marry me; this was a bad idea because I could not get back up (she said yeah)! Until Christmas it's time to dust off the cross bike & have some fun! Race plans for 2013 are tentative at this stage but am looking at somewhere new, a new Challenge ;-)
After qualifying last September months & months finally passed & we set out for Kona on Thursday October 4th. It is such a long trip, up at 3:30am for London flight, just enough time to get through Heathrow & board an 11.5hour flight to LA. Again security meant 2 hrs was just enough time to walk through to reach the 5.5hr flight to Kona. By the time your feet hit the tarmac in Kona you don't know which end of you is up. However landing at night going straight to bed & up next morning you get into the swing of things.
First day (and every day since) kicks off with a swim in the tropical fish bowl. You wouldn't think water could be so clean. Then off to Lava Java for pancakes for her & me feeling sorry for myself as US customs have managed to loose part of my bike when they searched my bike box (they didn't close it properly). Contacts with Look USA, local bike shops, shout out to Look on Twitter, all say "its coming", 1 phone call to John Donenelly back in Superstore & part was in hands of next Irish guy on flight to Hawaii. Thats proper service.
With my bike finally up & running I lost my prescription goggles, this one all my fault...idiot! Day falls into a pattern of swim, running & biking & added to that as of today looking at bikes as the expo is up. The expo here is so different to other races, the booths actually want to talk to you. As of Wednesday the place is packed with the last of the Americans having arrived. I miss the tranquility of a few days ago.
Last night was the parade of nations & is always one of my proudest moments marcahing in the top class Irish shirts (well done Martin Muldoon), between athletes & our excellent support crew we had 15 people marching. The nicest part was when this elderly (I mean very elderly) stepped out of the crowd & came over to tell us she was from Clontarf & moved to Hawaii in 1962. We got some photos & she had tears in her eyes just seeing the tricolour. Being Irish means that much to everyone!
Whatever about the ironman, tomorrow (Thursday) is the big one, the underpants run! I plan on winning it & you'll need to be my friend on Facebook to see those photos!!
Lost Sheep Race Report - 2nd Place.
I have such great memories of the Lost Sheep, harping back to my first time doing the race in 2006. 2012 was my 5th time lining up and the 2 missed editions were due to a family wedding and doing an ironman abroad the same day last year.
I love Kenmare, the town, the atmosphere, the restaurants (Jam, Prego), the scenery, the race itself (is there a more scenic bike course?) and have always had a great laugh staying there for the weekend. However when I stopped to think about it the other day, race wise I have had nothing but bad luck in this race, bar 2006. 2007, 10km into cycling, snapped something in the headset meaning I couldn't really turn the bars and for anyone whom has ever descended the Healy Pass will know, this is quite a serious issue! 2008, massive rain day before, huge floods and got caught in the downstream current, eventually got out of water mildly hypothermic, fell about transition putting on every bit of clothing I had and was 40km into bike before I warmed up. 2010, again caught in river current, more extreme hypothermia and had to be pulled from the water. So what did 2012 hold? I got my answer after 25km's on bike, rear cassette came loose so would not have the use of my 11 for the remainder of the race. In fairness this was my own fault, I should have tightened it with a bit more muscle!
Anyway, race day dawned not as early as previous years, as the more civil 8am start only meant a 5am bowl of porridge. The organisers in an attempt to overcome the river current went with a swim that stayed entirely in the bay and then had a 1km+ run to transition. I definitely thought it was a good decision, as being a little cold getting out of the water the run really warmed you up before hitting the bike. I was happy with my swim, managing to stay on feet for the most part. In an ideal world it would have been the same pair of feet all day, but things happen. The long run while carrying goggles, hat and wetsuit was interesting and I couldn't decide to carry the wetsuit or put it over the shoulders, some people even just ran with it on.
At the start of the bike I felt great and was really motoring along. The Healy Pass was the first climb of the day and the descent as always was a bit scary. I had a bad patch from the bottom of the Healy to the start of the Caha Pass and dragged a nice little group along with me for the ride. I was getting a bit frustrated with them so once I hit the bottom of the Caha Pass I put the head down and finally got rid of them. I hope they enjoyed their free 20 odd km. Crested the Caha Pass and really pushed on heading for home. I`ll say it again the bike course is stunning, ok roads are a bit crap in places, but it is really well marshaled and even had people stationed to point out the worst of the holes.
Into T2 and I didn't see a lot of bikes, which is always a good thing. As I exited transition I panicked as I saw Annette cheering for me, and standing right beside Annette was...Annette cheering for me! Was I seeing double, had I not got my fuelling right, crap crap crap! 21km is a long way to run when you are delusional. Then I remembered her identical twin had come to the race with us. Even at this stage of their lives they have some deep twin bond that means they tend to wear similar style and colour of clothes! I heard someone shout "Top 5" to the guy behind me and knew the person in front was a relay team, so guessed top 3. After a few km I passed the relay runner and another runner, then a few km's from the turnaround I passed Trevor Woods. I know from experience that if you are passing Mr. Woods, you are very close to the front. I saw one guy going the other way and no one else before hitting the turn around so knew I was in 2nd. I also knew the gap to 1st was insurmountable bar a melt down on the leader's part. However as you pass people coming the other way they all look so damn fresh with amazing running styles, as opposed to my drunken octopus run. Fear of being caught keeps you going.
The Lost Sheep run is a killer, it takes forever to get to the turnaround and twice as long to get back. There is no long hills, just loads of really steep short climbs, I was dying and would just concentrate on shortening my stride and powering over them. And it does just go on, and on and on. Duracell bunny stuff. Eventually I got to the finish and crossed to the most amazing post-race area. First up was recovery bars, drinks, followed by fruit and water, then the most decadent baked goods from Jam along with coca-cola and finally, massage tent. What more could a man want?
I posted both the fastest bike and run times for the day, finishing second, which was my 3rd time coming 2nd in this race. Someday, I will find the sheep. Few more weeks to go to Hawaii on October 13th, I`ll take an easy week before ramping up for the final hit out and then taper home to race day. As always the rest of my weekend in Kemare was excellent. The highlight, maybe even one of the highlights of my life? We went out for dinner Saturday night and I got the Roger Moore raised eyebrow of disbelief as I ordered, asking for larger than normal portions. I cleaned my own plates, the bread basket and finished off Annette's pizza all before dessert, such was the impression I left that chef asked for me to come back to the kitchen to shake his hand. Ahh, if only he knew that I stopped for an ice cream on the way to the prize giving!
Am writing this at my desk at 8am havingshowered after a 2hr turbo. Turbo is supposed to be straight forward, shorts, T, ride go. Well down through the years I have had numerous punctures on the damn thing and today snapped my gear cable while finishing my warm up. Luckily I had another bike close by so got the session finished. This episode did little to brighten my dark mood as the evening beforehand I got caught in a biblical rainstorm whilst out running, my iPod got wet & gave up the ghost. Oh the joys of Ironman training!!
At this stage it is just under 8 weeks to race day in Kona on October 13th. After the Big Cow Half in July, I took it relatively easy for 2 weeks, did a few sprints and then D-day, the start of the 12 week build. This is a horrible time as you have been training for weeks and still have ages to go. I am getting use to being permanently tired and hungry and the feeling of the clothes getting that little bit looser. It is a feeling that everyone training for a big event gets I am sure.
At the moment it looks like a big Irish crew heading to the Big Island, with 8 Irish in total having qualified and am sure another 1 or 2 will come out of the woodwork. It is also good to have friendly faces out there and I fancy possibly one or two of them to be in the hunt for an age group podium. Also out there will be Una Burns, whom I met on my last trip in 2010. The Irish were all waiting round at the parade of nations to get going and a few people mentioned that there was another Irish on the start list. We just assumed it was some American with the old "I am 12% Irish, my great auntie's dog was...", next thing we see this lady coming towards us in an Irish T-shirt - she shouts to us with a heavy Ballymena accent "What about ya?". She had married an American guy and moved to Hawaii years ago, but definitely no American twang when she spoke!
Finally, the Olympics were class and it was great to see Aileen and Gavin flying the flag for Ireland in triathlon. Most people watching the race could never imagine the amount of work both of them had done over the years to get there. However the exposure the sport got hasn't been good for us long distance folk. The other day someone at work said to me "I thought you were decent enough at this triathlon thing?" I was very tempted to give the Brian Clough reply "I wouldn't say I was the best, but I am in the top 1". So after a more subdued "ehh, I can get round the course", he replied "well you said the race takes you 9+hours, yet this crowd in London were done & dusted in under 2hours, you must be brutal!"
Muckno Mania & Glenarm Tri Sprint Report. July 15 & 18th
After the Big Cow I was taking a 2 week break before starting into the specific Hawaii work. So I did what any normal person does when on a break - I raced! Two sprint tri's to be exact, Muckno Mania on July 15th and Glenarm Sprint on July 18th. In total a half plus 2 sprints in the space of 11 days, a great mid-season break. I actually really enjoy these small races when I put absolutely no pressure on myself and more often than not these races are absolute gems, very well organised & supported.
First up was the 40km cycle to Castleblaney for the 4th Muckno Mania tri. The race is part of the weekend's festival, where the day before they set a world record for the most Incredible Hulks, with apparently 500 odd people dressing up with the green body paint. This record goes hand in hand with last years entry in to the Guinness Record books for the most Smurfs (you couldn't make this stuff up). Any suggestions for next year that I might pass along? Anyway back to the race, which was a unique event for me for 2 reasons, first was the swim. The race had not one but two false starts! Also a floating start line that saw competitors gain up to 50M's depending on where they lined up. More on the second unique event later!
I had a decent enough swim, though did lose big chunks to the first guys out. Straight out of the water is a 200m run up a steep grass hill, that sets the max heart rate for the day. Out on the bike leg for roads I know like the back of my hand and slogged it through a tough headwind. I moved up the field and came off the bike in 7th. The run was a down the hill, 2 laps and back up the hill to finish. The run laps are fairly narrow in parts but nothing too major. I quickly moved into 6th, then 5th and close enough to the end of the 4th lap I caught the 4th place guy, a fellow Dundalk resident. As I caught him he decided to run with me for a while, or should I say he decided to run over me! At first we were running side by side, then the shoulder goes into me. I passed it off thinking maybe he lost his footing, then it happened a second time, I was starting to think "what's going on here?" Then bang again for a 3rd time he runs into me!! I heard his breathing switch from mouth to backside, so knowing he was gone I put in a surge and left him, coming home in 4th place. When I got on to him after the race, fair play he simply said "I was trying to slow you down", this being THE World Championships and not a small local race I completely understand what he was trying to do!! The picture is of me crossing the line at Muckno, I would love to know what exactly has caught my attention.
On the 18th I made the long trip up to Glenarm for Ireland's first mid-week tri. The event was being run by the relatively new Invictus Club, based out of Belfast. Fair play to them for putting on an excellent event & they are surely in the running for best goodie bag ever. It even had aftershave in it!! The race started with a triangle sea swim & basically everyone had the idea of running along the beach for a good 200ms before swimming, but before hand the TI race ref told us "get into the water", which was a bit on the baltic side. I had another decent swim and was soon blasting along the beautiful Antrim coastline, then we turned inland for what we were told was a "slight hill". 11km later I reached the top of what I would describe as a "long draggy moutain". Antrim is famous for its glens, not its small hills. We also had a headwind up and it was soul destroying just going on and on. The last few KM's were fast & furious flying downhill in the 53 * 11.
I entered T2 in 2nd place with first just in front. Early on I thought I pulled him back a little but then the gap just stayed constant the whole run, which seemed closer to 42km than 5km. I tried a few surges to close the gap but couldn't and was never so glad to see a finish line, an end to the suffering. I was happy with 2nd place 21secs off the win. For these 2 races I ran in the Zoot Ultra Speed for the first time, I have never ran in something so light, and they are seriously quick to get one and off.
Now the plan is to get the head down & put in a bit of training for the race in Hawaii. 12 weeks seems like a long time & I know it won't fly by, because when you are doing an interval on the turbo, 5 minutes is a long long time!
Cowman 2012 British Middle Distance Championships Report. - 8th Place. July 8th
My 2012 season kicked off with Abu Dhabi in March, which I knew would be followed by Hawaii in October, having qualified at Wisconsin last September. However March to October is a long way with no specific focus so I needed a mid-season goal and up stepped the Big Cow! This half Ironman held outside Milton Keynes was my first half way back in 2006 and 2012 was to be my fourth time lining up. I have always combined it with a trip to visit my sister and we have camped at the race site making life a lot easier race day.
All the bookings were made and we headed off on the Saturday before the race, fly to Lutton, pick up the rental and set up the tent. None of this would have happened if not for Annette as I decided to try and fly without my passport and pick up the rental without my drivers licence. So I obviously wasn't as relaxed and laid back about this race as I thought. We got to the camp site and the place was a mud bath, it just rained, rained and rained some more. It was depressing but nothing you could do, with Silverstone also on nearby a hotel or B&B was impossible. It did finally stop raining for a dry nights sleep and breakfast at 3:30 to prepare for a 6:30 start. I arrived down to my bike to find my front tub had punctured overnight, which I can safely say was not due to the extreme heat! This made for a bit of a panic though I managed to get it sorted just in time.
As always at this event the race briefing was legend "2 lap swim, 3lap bike, 4 lap run, don't draft, 3,2,1 go" and away we went. The race was the British Middle Distance championships so the big field meant over 300 in my wave, though despite these numbers we had a relatively civilised swim. T1 was in what was once a field, now it was just a mixture of mud and water. Nightmare, a horrible muddy nightmare. Anyway I dug through the mud, got the Zoot wetsuit off and out on the Look.
The bike was going fine moving well through the field. I noticed that there seems to be an unwritten rule that if you pass someone using a rear disc wheel they must pass you again 60seconds later, forcing you to pass every disc twice. This phenomena does not happen with riders using rear deep dish wheels, only a disc wheel. This event is probably a bit like flying Aer Lingus, reasonably priced, well run, safe but no frills, which meant no food at aid stations on bike or run, just water. This was grand as I had all the calories and hydration I needed.......or so I thought. Mid way through the second lap I reached into my back pocket to grab an energy bar. I said I reached into my back pocket to grab my ENERGY BAR, energy bar where the hell are you?? Ok no problem, few less calories I will just eat my second energy bar now which is in my second back pocket. Not one both both of my energy bars had upped sticks and left me! Panic set in, one 500ml energy drink and 2 USN gels to get me through the race, eh not going to happen.
As I finished my second lap I shouted at Annette food, but when you are flying past at 50kph on a downhill was pretty sure all she heard was nothing. The third lap I seemed to struggle a bit but maybe my mind was just telling me this? Anyway into the mud bath, sorry T2 and I started a wrestling match with my socks. I did eventually win but they did themselves proud. Out of T1 and it was like a chink in the clouds with a single ray of sunlight shinning down on Annette with a bunch of gels. My god they hit the spot and seemed to do the job as I posted the fastest run of the day and moved up to 8th overall and 2nd in my age group. The racing was very close and those socks in T2 can claim a victory of sorts with my T2 time being ridiculously slow and costing me a few places.
I didn't even bother waiting for the prizes as the lure of a silver medal was not enough to see me apply to change nationality. Plus I was dreaming of a shower and a hot meal. So now is time for a mini-break from the training before starting a build up for Hawaii. It's looking like we could have a decent sized Irish team this year with quite a few earning that coveted slot already and surely a few more to come.
Tri Limits Half Iron Report. - 3rd Place. June 2nd
Saturday last saw the 3rd running of the Tri Limits Half Ironman & it was set to be the hardest race of my life! Why? Because I wasn't going to "race" it! Abu Dhabi to Hawaii was over 7months, so I wanted a bit of focus in the mean time & picked a race in the UK that I had done before, mid July. Spoke to the coach & we started back into full on tri training after a few bike races in the run up to Easter. I mentioned a few races that I would maybe do in the build up. The Tri Limits half is a great event so it was on the list. Then in May the programme arrived in the inbox to take me to July. Read through it & was a bit of swimming, some cycling & also a few runs. Then I came to the part about the Tri Limits half. I have no problem training through a race & even not resting afterwards, but what the $*)! was I reading? "Tri Limits Half - Race the swim, do the bike as 20mins hard/5mins easy & run as 20mins hard/10mins easy".
We lined up in the surprisingly warm Lough Eglish just outside of Dungannon & I had the plan in my head. Swim normal then intervals all day. Of course I had kept my training wheels on the bike & in proper "get your excuses in first" fashion, people would nod hello & I would shout out "only using this as training". To which I would get the look back that said "I really couldn't care less about what your doing, have my own race today". Gun went & the swim was fine, apart from doing an extra bit at the end of the first lap. Through T1 onto the bike & start hammering, for the first time ever in a race I kept looking at my watch, 5mins, 10mins, 15mins then it hit 20mins, moment of truth. Do I do as I am told or keep going??? Shockingly I put the chimp back in his cage & did as I was told. For the next 5mins I spun along like I was out for a Sunday ride, then bang off I went again. Kept this up for the whole 90km, 20mins hard, 5mins easy. Into T2 changed & tore into the first lap of the run. Just as I started my 2nd lap I flew past another racer, the watched beep & I slowed up. He most have thought "this idiot has blown a casket already". Again I followed this routine for the next 21km.
So was it worth it? I don't know yet, I`ll hopefully find out come October 13th in Hawaii. It was great, especially in the run, when you are dying & breathing hard to know you can allow yourself to go easy. I didn't quite get my pacing right & died a bit of a slow death on the last interval, those bloody hills, it was not a flat run course.
Once again Tri Limits put on a great race, superb marshaling & weather. Only in Ireland could you get sunburned on a Saturday then cycle 160km in the pouring, cold rain on a Sunday. Congratulations to Owen Martin for winning the race, even had I gone full blast it still would have taken an engine to catch Owen, he was flying! So a few more weeks training before my next race in July.
Best of luck for all those preparing for ironmans in Austria, Bolton, Frankfurt, Roth & wherever. I reckon the Irish team in Hawaii could be the biggest ever this year!
Tour of the North Race Report. April 6 - 9th
Sometimes races go well, Abu Dhabi & sometimes races got a word that rhymes with sit. Easter's Tour of the North for me definitely rhymed with sit! After Abu I took a week or so of reduced training & then got back into a few Saturday bike races. First one went well & I was actually glad of a puncture 10km from home as I needed the loo so bad. My second bike race of the season thought me the importance of charging your electronic shifting battery on a regular basis as an 80km flat race in a 39 * 12 is no fun. How I hung in is still a complete mystery to me. Finally the week before Easter I did the 110km Tour of the Ards, an epic, scenic race around the Ards peninsula. I was going well & happy with my form, while swimming & running away mid-week.
This was to be my 7th Tour of the North & as always it kicked off with the 1km TT up Stormont Hill. The signs were not good, while warming up on the turbo I got a puncture, literally seconds before my start time. How do you puncture on a turbo? Jammed a new wheel in & got to start house with seconds to spare. I had put it in the 53 * 12 to get the wheel in & realised this wasn't a good gear to go for a standing start uphill TT. I knew luck would not be on my side for the weekend, when I asked my starter to lift my back wheel so I could change the gear, he replied "I actually have a broken wrist". Result, last place out of 106 starters! Only 3 days to go.
Stage 2 & the bad luck continued, 50km into the stage & I could feel the front wheel going soft, especially when out of the saddle. We hit the Mourne mountains & the climb of Spelga Dam. It was carnage, riders everywhere. While not being labelled a mountain goat I was doing ok & just about on the coat tails of the front riders, however my flat wheel was getting worse. The climb had a long fast descent, but with a soft front wheel I had no confidence & was losing ground going through the corners. I eventually stopped, pulled out my wheel only to watch every car drive by me. A motorbike marshal eventually came to me & radioed that I was stranded & needed a wheel. Eventually the broom wagon came along after I had been standing around for 3-4mins & gave me a wheel. I finished the rest of the race by myself & by the time I crossed the finish line the barriers were been taken down. I was still in last place.
Easter Sunday saw us move to Magherfelt in Co. Tyrone for another 115km road stage, with 2 King of the Hills primes. The stage can alony be described as savage! The yellow jersey had cleverly worn a black gillet covering his number & the fact that his jersey was yellow. He slipped off the front in a small 4 man group after 4/5miles & we were strung out the rest of the day chasing him. The side winds were crazy & the bunch was riding one long line in the gutter half the time. You would just be flat out staring at the wheel in front of you, hanging on for dear life, riding practically in the hedge, while praying that no one in front would let a wheel go. Also swinging down the back means as always you get caught behind a crash & just bury yourself to get back on. The second time up the climb it just got blown to pieces and I came home in the second bunch, some 6minutes down on the winner. Finally I had moved out of the Lantern Rouge position.
Waking up Monday morning my legs were sore & the head or heart was just not in it. We started at the bottom of a climb, which I wasn't worried about as it was neutralised till we crested the first of what would be many hills on the 120km stage. However half way up the climb the lead car decided "sure we'll start early". Boom the attacks started & I was in serious trouble, tired, feeling sorry for myself, I just couldn't respond to the constant accelerations & sure enough I found myself drifting out the back of the bunch. I chased for a few miles but was making no head way. Some other poor sole caught me & we rode on for 80km before heading home for an early shower. A bad performance (or terrible in this case) leaves you with so many questions, am I useless, training too much, not enough? You run through all the possible reasons in your head & try to come up with excuses, but seldom find a satisfactory one.
So in summing things up am fairly down on myself & the confidence has taken a major hit. After Adu I was riding high, but things are a bit different now. I`ll probably take a few days off, relax & then regroup.
Abu Dhabi Race Report - First in Age Group. March 3rd
I don't know where exactly I got the notion of doing Abu Dhabi triathlon, 3km swim, 200km bike & 20km run reads like an easy ironman & the race seemed very glamorous with a top class pro field. However it is on the first Saturday in March, which means training hard over the winter. Last year I did IM Wisconsin on September 11th, then Dublin Marathon on October 31st afterwhich I did very little training. So when I awoke on January 2nd there was 9 weeks until Abu Dhabi and I was not in great shape. The first week back was horrendous and at this stage I had no flights or accommodation booked, which was looking like a good call! Then I headed out to Lanazrote for 10 days and by the end of a great block of training & Icould feel myself getting stronger.
Then it was back to the reality of an Irish winter. Our winter this year was mild, very mild in comparison to the last 2 years, but did I suffer. I would get home from long rides, praying that Annette would be home to open the door as my hands were too numb to find my keys, also assistance was greatly appreciated for getting my gloves & shoes off. One Sunday after 150km in the rain (it literally rained the whole way) I was too cold to get all the wet layers off, I was actually physically sick & not fit to do my 30min run. I showered & lay on the sitting room floor in front of the fire, shivering too sick to eat. I suffered a lot of days, but got it done.
I flew out at the crack of dawn on February 29th (thereby avoiding any questions that a lady may ask on this unique date) & arrived into the boiling hot cauldron that is Abu Dubai. The pre-race atmosphere was a lot more low key than an Ironman but still had a great buzz because of the number of top class pros about. Training out there before hand was very difficult bar swimming, as the city center location & mental drivers didn't make for safe cycling or running. Water temp was a frigid (by their standards) 20oC so wetsuits were optional. I gave it plenty of thought for about .01 of a second & decided to use the Zoot Prophet wetsuit. Zoot had sent me their new swim skin, which was definitely a big help, but full wetsuit always wins!
Race day dawned bright & early but the gun was delayed by 30mins for reasons varying from permission from the UAE king to fly the helicopters to an all night rave in the city getting out of hand & the cops still managing that. The race started with a short beach run & into the 2 lap swim. Overall I had a good swim & sat on the feet of some guy with a distinctively colour full wetsuit. I would loose him for a few strokes & next thing bang he would appear by my side again, like a guardian angel. The 200km was my first race outing on my Look 596 & once I got the race wheels onto it, I fell that little bit more in love with her. The bike was 2 * 80km laps, followed by a 40km lap. We headed out to the Yas Marina formula 1 circuit through the desert & back into the city. The desert was hot & boring, the F1 circuit was windy & exciting! I am an idiot but I couldn't help making car noises in my head as I went round the circuit with thoughts Murray Walker commentating, "Here comes Dolan into the chicane as he drops down a gear". The ride back to the city had a stiff headwind, which picked up considerably on each lap. After 180km, the last 20km was back into a blazing headwind & that near killed me. I knew going into the race that I wasn't in top biking shape for that kind of distance & I was really suffering by the end. Despite being "only" 20km more than an ironman, you really felt the extra distance. 20km is not a lot going from 60 to 80km, but from 180 to 200km is a massive leap.
I started the run with a fair amount of trepadation (& a desire to visit a porta loo), as memories of my Wisconsin melt down were still quite fresh. I ran at what felt like a challenging but tolerable pace & began ticking off the kms to the finish. An emergency detour to a very small bush in a very public area could have earned me a trip to jail given strict Muslin laws, however at that exact time, jail would have presented the less uncomfortable option. I picked up the pace slightly for the last km and crossed an under whelming finish line. There was plenty of people about but they seemed a bit indifferent to the race itself. I met Bryan McCrystal, who had just finished 16th in the pro race, & his wife, Karen, whom I owe a big thanks to for taking out my prescription sunglasses which I had forgotten. Being blind as a bat, riding 200km using only the force to guide me would have been a bit scary!
When the dust had settled & I had showered I was informed by David Tunney, who was back in Ireland and 4hours behind me, that I had won my age group & was 3rd age grouper overall. Happy days! I had also posted the fastest age group run of the day, am in the Zoot Ovwa tri runners again this season. Overall a great start to the season. My travelling buddies also produced top class performances. Bryan McCrystal raced pro & finished 16th overall, while Owen Martin was 3rd in his age group & 11th age grouper overall. When it comes to top class triathlon regions its Boulder, Stellenbosch, Gold Coast, Dundalk, they just run off the tongue.
Finally just how much the hard training was wearing me down hit me on February 14th. I went into the shop to get a card and found an Irish made card with a rhyme that was not too cheesy. I let fly with poetic license on the inside & got ready to seal up the envelope, when I noticed what it said on the front "To my loving...HUSBAND"
Training Lanzarote - January 25th
I have only ever been on 2 training camps previous to this year, but after the last 2 winters of ice & snow I reckoned I would need one this year. I find that I can get almost as much training done at home, but its crazy busy doing a big week at home & working as well. So with this in mind I headed off to Lanzarote to stay with Debs & Darren at www.trisportslanzarote.com They have an outstanding villa about 4km from the start of Ironman Lanzarote. Debs is an amazing cook (best Paella ever) while Darren or "thumbs up Daz" as he became known, is a modern day MacGyver! Although not a builder he pretty much built the villa, including a 25m pool in the garden! He is also a BT Level 2 Triathlon Coach & has qualified for Vegas 70,3 Worlds. I was tempted to lock him in his shed with a box of paper clips just to see what he would build to escape. My training partners were UK Pros Lucy Gossage & Tamsin Lewis along with Ireland's very own long distance pro Eimear "Mully" Mullan. Three very fast ladies, however they were useless for drafting off as sitting behind them a match would block more wind. Girls, eat more cake!
Lanzarote is an unforgiving place, hills, wind, hills, wind & hills. When deciding which route to go it was like deciding between been beating with a wooden bat or a steel rod, either way it was going to hurt. I was also very apprehensive about folding myself back into the tri position on the new Look, having not acted as a contortionist since IM Wisconsin last September. Luckily the body held together, though Zoot compression clothing got a lot of use. When I collected the new Look John had put a 42 small ring on the front, saying that a 39 isn't any use on a TT bike. I cursed him on every single hill as I struggled in a 42 * 23 top gear. Then a felt like a complete wimp when reading a book about the history of the Tour & how in the early days they went through the Alps on unpaved roads while riding fixed wheels. As my good friend Owen Martin would say "HTFU Liam".
So what did I do for the 10days? Basically at any time I was doing 1 of 4 things, training, resting, sleeping or eating, with the latter 3 being my favourite. The days just fall into a rhythm of swim, breakfast, bike, lunch, nap, run, dinner, rest, sleep...keep going for 10days. While absolutely brutal conditions the island is a stunning place to train, the course for the bike leg is hard as, but definitely has the most amazing views. Unfortunately you just have to climb mountains to see them. Also where else can you see swim in January? Most of the running was off road, as there was some great trails around the villa.
I did turn 32 while out there and we went to an amazing Spanish restaurant right across the road from the villa. Debs organised a cake for me so I was able to go all red when they walked out with the burning candles, luckily the lights were off. But it was terrible the restaurant gave us a bottle of champagne on the house for my birthday and a free jeigermister afterwards, all of which went untouched. Am sure is very strange when customers return free drinks, bloody triathletes, we're such nerds!
During the summer an opportunity came up to buy a bike, a cyclo cross bike at that. I have never done nor had the urge to do a cyclo cross race. I had been mountain biking a few times & was terrible. Off road cycling was not for me! I even went to watch a cyclo cross race in Dundalk last year & it just looked cold & muddy. I played rugby for a lot of years, I didn't need any more cold & muddy experiences in my life. However the opportunity to own another bike, even though you don't need it or have plans to use it, was too good to pass up. So I bought it in May & put it in the shed, where it became an excellent device for collecting dust.
After the marathon the plan was to take it easy for the rest of the year & do a few fun events. A good few of my Cuchulainn CC club mates started racing cross & I thought, eh why not. What can I say, its bloody brilliant! Even though I am completely useless, a cross race is 60 odd minutes of serious fun and breathing out your backside. The courses are a bit nuts, bit of tarmac to start, some grass & mud, through a forest, down a seriously steep drop, some more grass & mud, get off & carry the bike up some steps, more mud, get off & jump over some planks someone put in the ground, 1 lap done. One of the more adventurous courses had a scary steep drop which presented 3 choices at the bottom, 1) hit the tree, 2) go into river or 3) make it round the 90 degree bend. Part of my knuckles are still on the tree!
My lack of bike handling skills & the fact that it takes me 60mins to warm up (fun events don't have warm ups) mean I am usually in last position by the first corner (its actually amazing how many corners you can get in a 2km course). Despite being no where near the pointy end of the field you have great battles with those round you. Point in case, sibling rivalry at the final round of the Ulster Cyclocross Cup.
He gets a better start than me, but am holding him, until I get a branch in the front wheel & go over the bars. I am now in last place & it becomes about maintaining some sort of pride. On the course I can see that I am catching him & eventually pass him starting lap 4. On the technical sections he is much better & has no problem holding onto me. Then we come out of the forest & I open a gap on him, only to slide off on a muddy corner & he gets away from me. I start chasing again and catch him on the second last lap. But he digs deep & is holding my wheel, this is world champs stuff & I want to win, so on the least technical grass section I bust a gut & finally the gap starts to open. We are on the last lap at this stage & I can smell the victory champagne. His wife & kids are at the race so this will be all the more sweeter. Am still leading through all the technical stuff & the gap is growing, victory is in the bag! Disaster, bike is clogged with muck & the chain comes off front & back, no choice but to get off & frantically pull at it to get it back on. He passes me & I run out of real estate before the end. After the finish line he is grinning like a Cheshire cat & my niece reminds me that "daddy beat you". To put this epic battle in context we were racing for 38th & 39th place out of about 45 finishers. You can't take yourself too seriously!
Sure new wheels are fun when the sun is shinning in the summer, but a cross bike is pure bliss for the horrible months of October, November & December. Am even off to Belgium this weekend to see the pros do it, where surely I`ll squeeze in a waffle or two as well.
Dublin Marathon - 31st October 2011
Three seconds is not a lot of time, but it can make a big difference. I did my first ever stand alone marathon on Monday in Dublin and came in with a time of 2:49:57. This 3 seconds is a massive 3 seconds as it allows you to say "Yeah I ran a sub 2:50" or when asked what time you ran you can completely ignore mathematical rounding up laws and say "2:49". I first discovered that these laws don't apply in the world of sport when everyone said I did a 9:02 in Austria 2009. Most times I am the most pedantic person in the world, but on this occasion was quite happy for 9:02:48 to be called 9:02!
I always thought that a stand alone marathon was completely different but physically & psychologically to the marathon at the end of an ironman. Firstly in the head it seems so much longer. Yes they are both 26.2 miles, but in an ironman when you start the run, you are at the last part of the race. It is a completely different mindset. Secondly you are not running "fast" (relatively) in an ironman. Fast running beats you up a lot. Now 3 days after the race I didn't get my usual post ironman kankles, but the legs are sore as hell. I woke up during the night to go to the bathroom & it took me 5mins to walk down the landing.
The race was also an excellent lesson in patience & pacing. While my training had been reasonable good I had neglected the other aspects that require you to be in top shape & also my focus wasn't exactly where it should be. I didn't have an exact target time in my mind, but thought I should run a 2:50ish. I met a friend on the start line who said that he would run a 2:48-2:49 so I decided to stick with him. Of course the first mile was too fast but after that we settled into a good rhythm. I was panicking a bit as I saw literally hundreds of people fly by us, even some whom I knew were aiming for a slower time than us. However I let common sense prevail & stuck with my own private pacer.
Some miles would be up & some down & overall I was feeling very comfortable & well within myself. The miles would just tick by, with an aid station to provide a bit of a break to the monotony. We hit the half way stage at 1:26 & a warning light went off in my head. I knew I was running well within myself & the group I was in didn't seem to be in a position to pull back the 2mins we needed to break 2:50. On the other hand the memory of my epic fall apart in Wisconsin was still fresh in my mind. I hung tight for another couple of miles. At mile 19 I was really in 2 minds as what to do. There was still 7miles to go but apart from a very tight hamstring I was feeling relatively ok. I didn't want to finish my season having not left it all out there on the race course so I just decided to go for it.
I upped the pace & was clocking sub 6:15 miles the whole way home. I was getting very tired towards the end but knew I had literally mins to go. Mile 25-26 was my second fastest of the day, after the 1st! There were huge crowds at the end & they really give me a lot of energy. With my dodgy eye sight it was with only 200ms to go that I could see the clock and it read 2:49:**, which put the fear of god in me, as I didn't want to miss 2:50 by literally seconds. I went into Carl Lewis mode (present day Carl Lewis, not 1984 LA Olympics Carl Lewis) & hit the timing mat with a full 3 seconds to spare, job done!
You win some, you loose some, 3 seconds under 2:50, brilliant, amazing, class. Finished 102nd, 3 spots outside being able to say "I finished in the top 100".
Breffni Duathlon Report - 22nd October 2011
Post ironman usually means take a long break to recharge the batteries (mentally as much as physically) before getting back into the swing of things. Unfortunately this was not the case after Wisconsin! I stupidly agreed to do the Dublin Marathon, so only took 1 week off after the ironman. With little to zero motivation every run has been a pain, I have not really been looking after myself & I miss my long weekend bike rides! On the plus side I am getting more of the great Irish weather!
As part of the training I had hoped to enter a running race maybe a 5 or 10km. My sister then told me about a new duathlon in Cavan on the 22nd. With my motivation completely gone I had left my training schedule in the hands of Dave Tunney and he thought the date meant it would be a good session before the race. However I still had a 20km run the morning before the race which included a reasonably hard 10km of intervals.
So session done, bit of refueling and a short nap later I headed off to Cavan. As I drove down weather was deciding between rain or biblical rain! When your tired, trying to set up to do a race in the rain is hard. Also as well as the rain, the wind was crazy strong. I took out my bike and realized I hadn't touched it since rebuilding it after getting home from Wisconsin, almost 6 weeks ago. I couldn't remember if I had even tightened the various nuts and bolts. Not having a tool kit was nothing I could do about it now so I assumed all would be good.
I was interested in the race as it was relatively short at 2km/18km/3.5km, however as I registered I was informed that they had changed the bike lap to 14km, sweet I thought, but we were going to do 2 laps, I honestly felt like crying! Anyway I got myself together and did a bit of a warmup and was ready to go. I knew the first run would start very fast, as there is some strong running clubs locally and I saw a few guys in singlets. Only serious people wear singlets, especially in torrential rain! Sure enough a few guys tore off at the gun. At only 2km I knew I could not go that hard and still keep the leaders in site, which is what happened. A fast transition and I was out of T1 in 5th or 6th and by 3km I hit the front. There was some hairy moments on the bike where the winds caught the deep dish front and I really thought I was going to go belly up on the slick roads. Luckily I survived.
I came into T2 with a decent lead and took the second run a bit harder. I was very happy with how I got through the race given I was tired after the mornings session. Also a win no matter what is always enjoyable. It was a great race, really well organised and fair play to all the marshalls who stood out on a day where the rain just never let up. It really was that miserable. Also to everyone who finished the race, it was some achievement given the weather. I saw 1 or 2 starting there second lap on the cycle as I finished my run and really felt for them. But everyone did themselves proud and finished.
Next up is the marathon on the 31st. The way things have gone I honestly have no expectations for time. I just want to get it done, finish the season and relax. Even though my training volumes were nothing like pre-ironman levels, it is the hassle of knowing you have a big event coming up. When you are motivated for big races you are excited and can't wait to get out there and race. On the other hand when your not motivated, you just want it to be over and done with! Then you can dust off the cross bike and do some run stuff...like cycling in the mud!
Ironman Wisconsin - 9th September 2011
I always think its funny with an Ironman, you sign up & its a year away, then its months, suddenly weeks, days, hours, minutes & next your standing in the water waiting for those last 20mins to go by. You look at your watch & swear that time went backwards. Its probably the same for everyone who has an A event during the year regardless of the sport or event, even those attending the Quilt Conference at the exhibition centre in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday felt the same! To them a Quilt Conference, discussing materials, designs, weaves, patterns is probably as daunting & requiring in preparation as an Ironman. Unfortunately pre-race events meant I missed this conference & will never know the joys of quilts beyond that of Dunnes Stores!
Arrived into Madison on Tuesday after driving the 2 hours from Chicago. Bike had arrived safe & sound & built it up before bedding in. Spent the next few days scoping out the course & the town. Course had no significant climbs but was hilly the whole way, up & down, with an ok surface. Definitely the hardest IM course I had seen as in addition to the hills, there was a lot of 90 degree turns which you had to slow right down to take. The run was downtown & again a lot of turns, 1 massive hill & a lot of rises. The town itself is a big student town & was cool to hang out in. However the students definitely seemed a lot richer than I ever was back in the UCD days. How many student shopping areas have art galleries, organic food shops, antique furniture places??
As Sunday approached I got more & more nervous, but staying about 5 miles from the race venue meant it was pretty relaxed. We went to the zoo & some friends of mine from when I lived in Idaho came to visit. The day before the race I like to drop off the bike & bags as early as possible & forget about them while just sitting back, reading, watching tv.
The race has a unique transition, firstly its massive, you exit the swim run round & round & round going up a helix into the building where you picked up your bags. Got changed & then ran through a massive car park to collect your bike, before spinning down the helix the far side to start your 180km adventure. Seriously spinning down the helix you are dizzy at the bottom.
The swim started at 7am & I was lined up at the very front. The first 100ms were very civil & I was pleasantly surprised. Then the waves from behind came & I got knocked about. The first buoy was mental but then it got calmer as the 2 lap swim wore on. Reasonably happy to exit in 1:11, wet suit off courtesy of the strippers & up the helix. The atmosphere was amazing. Crowds 4/5 deep either side & they are just screaming at you, absolutely electric.
Grabbed Dean (Ridley Dean not some guy who I just grabbed) & set off on bike, First 4/5 miles were a bit all over the place before you settled into the course properly. The climbs on the back end of the course had some real characters, one viking in a g-string has left a mental scar on me! Got myself a stop & go penalty courtesy of overtaking the motorbike ref on the left while he was talking to another rider. By the end of the first lap I realised I was at the pointy end of the field. The second lap was fairly boring as I was only lapping people & passing the odd pro. The highlight was been nearly knocked off by an over enthustastic volunteer trying to give me my special needs bag, but I never handed in a special needs bag! The wind had picked up & the hills were taking their tole on me. The big test would be how I felt cycling up the helix when I got back to transition & when it felt ok I was happy.
A quick T2 & I felt alright heading out on the run. As I left I was told I was 4th age grouper & by mile 3 was up to 2nd. Part of the run course went through the universities football stadium, an actual lap of the playing field. The stadium is a 70,000 seater & running round an empty stadium was kind of surreal. A big part of the course was along the city's main street & crowds were huge, a lot of people out drinking & screaming encouragement at us.
The whole first lap was very quiet & things were going well. I was comfortably in 2nd age grouper, feeling ok & was close to or in the top 10 overall. Then at mile 16 things started to fall apart & the next 10miles were a run/walk nightmare, pace dropped from sub 7min miles to 9min miles. I was dying & started getting passed. I even walked quite a bit with last year's second place finisher, he had exploded even more than I had! Eventually I made it home & crossed the line. The backdrop to the finish was the amazing state capital building. Catchers caught me & couldn't put me down as I was in a bad way. I sat around for a while but really didn't feel great, I had blood on my gums from a smack during the swim, which I hadn't even noticed. I was brought to the med tent & they weighed me. At registration I was 161 pounds, now I was 149 pounds. I don't know how I had gotten so dehydrated as I was drinking all day & remember peeing during the run & a lot on the bike (smell of shoes are proof). They debated whether to give me an IV or not as they are very reluctant to give them out. Eventually I started to come round & was released to the real world.
After the dust had settled I was told I had finished 16th overall, 6th age grouper, won my age group & had the second fastest bike of the day (1 pro was about 60seconds quicker). All in all this was pretty good news to receive & it meant I would be stepping up on the podium the next day. The next big decision was Hawaii & as the slot was for the 2012 race it was hard to say no to.
That brings an end to my 2011 tri season. As always a big thanks to all at Cycle Superstore for their support throughout the year. A superfast SRAM equipped Ridley Dean & Zoot clothing, runners & wetsuit meant I wanted for nothing & my equipment was easily as good as anything else out there. Others who helped me throughout the season were Kinetica Nutrition (available in Cycle Superstore), the healing hands of Robbie Caraher in Louth Physio Clinic. Robbie has a natural gift as a physio, strange as it sounds he has the warmest hands in the world, even back in January when he would treat me at 8am before opening & turning the heat on his hands were warm. On the coaching side David Tunney & Peter Kern of pb3coaching.com gave me plenty of feedback as I planned my weekly torture routine. As I outlined before I started taking Xendurance this season, did I feel any different, no. Did I do more training & have less feelings of dead legs, yes. Finally to Annette, friends & family who gave me tons of support throughout my training.
Annette like myself would not be carrying a lot of weight (for "a lot" read any). We were eating out every night in Wisconsin & every time as soon as we finished our main course would be given the bill, never offered dessert. We came to the conclusion that the they always thought "nah those skinny pasty white Irish folk mustn't eat the stuff". Well I showed them, in fact our waiter at the diner where I had pancakes the morning after the race asked if I had ever considered professional eating. Watch this space ;-)
Omagh Lap the Lough Triathlon - 13th August 2011
Once again following "Ze German's" advice I was standing on the shores of Loughmacrory for the inaugural Lap the Lough Sprint race held by Omagh Tri Club. Absolutely beautiful venue for a race, especially having tarmacked the road for the race! I was looking at the buoys thinking "that is a lot longer than 750m", while some guy beside me said "there is no way that is even close to 750m"! Bit like after a match how each set of supporter comment that their team was screwed by the ref, as Aresnal were against Newcastle last Saturday. Anyway back to the sport in hand, did my warm up swim, lined up in the water & off we went. With about 200 odd people in the water the bun fight was relatively short & sweet & fairly soon I was sitting on some feet & round the first buoy.
I have 2 fears in life, well 2 big ones, snakes & drowning. Snakes don't live in Ireland & I don't worry about drowning in water, just is a way I would hate to go. I am approaching the 2nd big massive yellow buoy, sitting on someone's hip. Not too many others around & definitely not congested at the buoy. As I turned around the buoy I somehow caught my arm in the netting which surrounded the buoy. Like a proper idiot I had managed to tangle my arm right up in it & panic really was starting to settle in. I pulled & tug & eventually got free, then with a massive adrenaline rush brought up by the fear I shot off, in the completely wrong direction! I had to slow myself down, get my head together & finish out the swim. All in this probably happened in give or take a minute, but it was the biggest heart rate spike of the day!
Into T1 & all I can see is thank god I don't focus on short course racing. My transition times are terrible! I was a full 29secs slower than the winner in T1 and nearly 30secs slower in T2. Honestly what do I be at??
The bike was a 2 lap affair & uneventful. I felt very flat on the bike & couldn't get a good rhythm. I do these sprints as an intense work out, but I couldn't make myself hurt on this day, I was pushing but more or less going through the motions. I moved up the field to 4th, but came out of T2 in 5th. Big surprise, more faffing in T2, again doing what I do not know.
The run, which was 2 wet laps of the lap was very similar to the bike, I just felt very flat, tried to push hard but couldn't make myself hurt. A few weeks ago in Muckno Tri I really got what I wanted, a very intense hard race, but didn't get even close this week. My heart rate was low all day, bar the panic induced spike in the swim. I re passed 4th on the run early on & that's where I finished up. The run course was very scenic but bloody wet & slippy, as was the bike & I saw a few people afterwards sporting some sore looking roadrash. Keanu Reeves did say in some god awful movie "chicks dig scars", hmm...women who get off on the site of blood & mangaled skin, not my cup of tea.
So that's all my racing done before IM Wisconsin on September 11th. I have been training consistently & have had some big weeks. Tiredness is just the norm now I am that used to it. However only a few big weeks to go & then off to the Cheese State. I was at a Tommy Tiernan show once & he described an experience in Wisconsin & an insight into the American obesity problem, "would you like cheese with that sir?" To which he replied "NO it's a f"*king newspaper!!"
Muckno Mania Triathlon (750m Swim/18k cycle/5k run) - 3rd Overall - 16th July 2011
I was speaking to Peter Kerns recently (www.pb3coaching.com) & he suggested that sprint races definitely have their place in ironman training. So with this in mind when the organiser of Castlebaleny's Muckno Mania Triathlon rang me late in the week looking for a last minute favour, I came up with an idea of how he could repay me! The race started in 2009 & it was the first triathlon I ever won. It's a great race, really well run & a lot like the Crooked Lake Tri just has a nice relaxed atmosphere to it. In 2010 I did it as part of a relay team, however my runner had a baby the night before so no chance of that team being relaunched (congratulations Glenn & Patricia).
With the recent good...ish weather the lake was grand as we all lined up for the starter's horn. I was waiting for the usual "get back, we are not going anywhere until everyone gets back" & then it seemed like some people started swimming, & then a few more did, there was still no horn so feck it everyone just went. A bit mental, but is better than the usual waiting around for the gun to go off. The swim was tough as I was really pushing it. I kept swimming on my own, getting absolutely no draft but seemed to be taking the best line from buoy to buoy. I say seemed but really mean hope. I exited the lake surrounded by swimmers that I had wanted to be with so fairly happy. The lake exit & T1 were separated by about 300m, up a bloody steep hill. Sprinting up this while trying to remove the wetsuit saw the HR shoot sky high & is tough to sprint into T1 & then calm yourself down to get out on the bike.
Living only 30km from Castleblaney I know the road course like the back of my hand. It's fairly flat & uneventful, with some nice views of the lake. The height of it really! The goal of this race was to go hard, which I did & it bloody well hurt. Got that feeling on the bike (& in swim) when you have to back off or you wont be finishing. When your training for ironman you forget just how much racing fast (well relatively fast) hurts, it hurts a lot. Coming towards the end of the bike I could see 2 people in front of me, I passed one of them & in T2 was informed I was in 3rd less than 2 minutes down. I thought I was quick in T2 but results showed that I gave up 15secs to the winner inhere. 15secs!!! What was I at?
The run was 2 laps around an island & it hurt like hell. I was redlining the whole way & in a world of pain. I was closing on 2nd place but not fast enough, while 1st place was running as fast as he moved through T2. To reach the finish line required me to climb another hill, which I by some miracle made it over. I crossed the line in 3rd, dying but very happy that I had had a very hard hit out. There is always a great spread after this race but unfortunately I had to literally grab my stuff & leg it. The next day I took the road bike out for a spin, before getting ready for my next big block of work ahead of Wisconsin. When your tired & want a change the road bike just seems so much easier than the Tri bike.
I commented on my last blog about Xendurance (listeners of IMtalk podcasts will know all about it). Yes I am still taking it & the big question is does it work? Honestly I don't know, all I know is that my legs don't seem to be as tired the day after a session. I have done some big training weeks recently & especially after the Big Cow Half I was very surprised at how I was immediately able to get back into big training.
I have no race photos, so attached is a lovely photo of a sheep in welly boots (ok it isn't a real sheep, but it's still funny looking)
The Big Cow Half Ironman (1900m Swim/92k cycle/21k run) - 11th Overall - 3rd July 2011
In 2006 I had decided I wanted to do my first half ironman, which was to be Cork Tri's Lost Sheep. However I didn't get my entry in on time & went looking for an alternative (I later got an entry for the race). The race I came up with was The Big Cow Half, held about 50miles outside London. Timing was good, could fly into London, have my sister could pick me up & come support me. Like Hannibal in The A-Team I loved it as the plan came together. I also returned in 2008 looking for redemption after a disappointing UK 70.3 earlier in the year. This year with no summer ironman I once again made the flight to Luton, got collected by my sister, along with her husband & kids, & headed to Emberton Park to pitch the tent for the night. My only worry about the race was that I am slap bang in my Wisconsin training & did absolutely no backing off for this, I was tired coming into this, so was a bit worried as to how I would get through.
The race was a much bigger affair this time round as it was the British Middle Distance Championships. Previous times I had done the race it had 250-300 entrants, this time it had 750 lining up! I was in the first wave off at the ungodly hour of 6:30am. The weather was hot & the lake was perfect temperature, 100% absolutely perfect for a wetsuit swim. The 2 lap swim was fairly uneventful, except for one area where it got really shallow & your hands were hitting the lake floor. My siting was a bit off & I took some bad lines between buoys, but was happy to exit in just over 33mins.
The bike course was 2 big laps & 1 small lap, with no serious hills but a few rollers. There was virtually no wind out & some parts of the course were fast, long gradual descents with a decent road surface. I definitely wasn't on fire on the bike but was making up ground. I did see plenty of draft busters out & they were needed as I saw a lot of packs. The race had 2 bad accidents, one in particular were a guy got stung by a wasp & while disorientated he hit a car & went through the rear windscreen. The race website posted that he is alright. Talk about a double whammy!
I came into T2 just behind a group of 6/7 others, got the runners on & headed out. The first 3/4km were hell, I felt tired, really tired, heavy legs & knew it was a bad idea to have raced such a long race in the middle of a big block of training. I was making no ground on the people in front of me & felt like I was plodding along. Slowly but surely though I started to come around & began picking off others. The run was 4 laps and a mix of trail, grass & road. Running past my tent was tough as I could have very easily just called it a day!
By the time I had crossed the line I had made it up to 10th spot with the fastest run of the day, I was also 3rd in my age group so would have a national medal...if I was British, which despite Triathlete Europe mag claiming otherwise after Hawaii last year I am not. Overall it was sort of a disappointing day, I should have done better, but keep forgetting that I came into the race tired & it was only part of the bigger picture. The bigger picture is IM Wisconsin on September 11th, less than 10weeks away now. After a bad performance you are left with more questions than answers & start to doubt the plan you had put together for yourself. I now have to tell myself to stick to that plan & to not let myself be derailed by one race.
The plan for Wisconsin did not allow for any let up in the training after this half either, so I was very worried about how the body would hold up post the race. Straight afterwards I had my protein drink & wore my Zoot recovery tights. Also a few weeks ago I was given a bottle of Xendurance tablets. Any one who listens to IM talk knows all about these & what they are suppose to do. I had been taking them & having felt no different, filed them under "Expensive Urine" (I worked in a pharmacy while in university & the owner said that the odd jobs who spent literally €100 a week on vitamins all they had was expensive urine). However the day after the race I felt surprisingly fine & trained. Today is Wednesday & I have manged some long hard sessions both today & on Tuesday, so maybe it is the Xendurance!
Crooked Lake Triathlon Report - 17th Jun 2011
This was my 7th time doing the Crooked Lake Triathlon in the Armagh village of Camlough, 7 times I feel old. 2005 was the first & I was home on a holiday from America where I was living at the time. Back then I had a steel British Eagle bike with a mix of Shiamno 105 & Tiagra. It was a lovely yellow & had the Union Jack on it (South Armagh, perfect place for a bike of this nature!). I don't know why I am saying "it was" as the bike has been living on my turbo since about 2006. It still gets plenty of use & has seen so much sweat & blood that is rusted to....... See the photo for the full effect & if you think I should be embarrassed because of the mess of the garage, I am not, it's my brothers garage. I have spent many hours sitting on that bike staring at the back of his camper van. I keep my turbo behind his camper van to get a good draft!
Anyway fast forward to 2011 & I am on a space age Ridley Dean with SRAM, carbon wheels, pointy helmets. I no longer use laces in my runners and my helmet is straight out of the props department from Star Wars. Oh how times have changed, however the biggest difference is how I view this race. I still love it but now it's just a sprint & not a priority at all. I trained really hard the week after the TriLimits Half & was wondering how I would hold up in the Crooked Lake race. I did a swim session that morning & had ridden the 20km odd to the race. While warming up I felt like absolute crap & was thinking why had I trained so hard following a half ironman!! However not having perfected the art of time travel there was nothing I could do but get lubed up & put on the Prophet (what a cool name for a wetsuit).
The swim start had changed for the better this year, the water temperature however hadn't. We had a much wider starting area for the 250 person wave but we still managed to fight like wild dogs over a bone. I got punched, kicked swam over, but gave as good as I got. Arriving into T1 I noticed the bikes & people around me & knew I had had a good swim (Thank you Prophet). Grabbed the Dean ran out, jumped on & away I went.....for about 50meters before I got off to fix my back wheel. That will teach me to adjust it before the start & not ride it to check all is good. So take 2 away I go again. Love the bike course, lots of short steep hills where you have to get out of the saddle & just power it. Isn't my kind of course where I can just stay aero & keep the speed constant but still it is fun, in a sad "I like pain" kind of way. I arrived into T2 in 4th position & headed out on the 2 lap run. I knew the guys behind me were going to be running fast, as would those in front. On the long straight I could see 2nd & 3rd running stride for stride & set off after them, however it wasn't to be. I didn't gain any time on them & finished 4th for the 3rd year running.
Honestly I was delighted with my result. I know I raced good & performed very well given the amount of training I had done leading up to it. I was just over 60secs off 3rd so I don't think the wheel adjustment would have made a difference. As always Camlough put on an amazing race, great crowd support, good weather, safe & very well marshaled. For non-triathletes Catherine, Patricia & the rest of the team really know what they are at. Even when I arrive to register & people are stressed out they always have a big hello for you. The day got even better when my name was pulled out of the hat for a draw that was held on race day. I haven't collected my prize yet, but I now have won 3 draws in my life, a Biestmilch T-shirt at IM Austria, this & a turkey when I was 6 years old at the local Christmas Raffle. I remember threatening my brothers & sisters that if they were not nice to me they weren't getting any on Christmas Day.
The day after Camlough was to be an epic as I had entered the Wicklow 200. 200km I have done plenty of times before & I know about the climbs, so what made it epic? The weather, oh my god did it rain, rain & rain some more. It was also windy, very windy in parts. It was a day of pure misery from which I received no enjoyment whatsoever. The only remotely good thing was that I punctured, about 200ms from a check point & while I had a sandwich someone fixed it for me. This was a godsend as I was so cold there is no way I could have fixed it myself. So a 7.5hour cycle when the highlight is a puncture pretty much sums it up.
Credit Crunch Half Iron Man Report - 7th Jun 2011
Kicked off my 2011 Triathlon season with the second Tri Limits Half on Saturday (June 4th). The race was held at Lough Eskragh just outside of Dungannon. It was billed as the cash cruncher no frills half, entry was very cheap, however if this was no frills, I would love to see what they would consider full on (I would imagine your bike would be washed for you while on the run & your wetsuit pressed & starched!). The race was top class & they even had my favourite dessert in the buffet afterwards, 15s! Had I known there was 15s I reckon I could have gone at least 10mins faster, possibly more. Here's Recipy :)
As you well know the promised heat wave for the first weekend of June never materialised & I was not looking forward to the swim. I was sporting my new Zoot Prophet wetsuit & was hoping for fast times with it. The swim start was fairly low key but once the gun went the legs & arms started trashing. The lead swimmer missed a buoy so of course like a bunch of sheep everyone else followed. It ended up being probably 500m short, but I was very happy with how I was swimming. The suit felt good & one area over the Zenith that I noticed an improvement was that it was a lot easier to get off in T1. Speaking of T1 it was a fairly cold affair & I struggled a bit to get a long sleeved jersey on.
Grabbed the Dean (no I didn't christian my bike "The Dean", that's the Ridley model). By 5/6km I passed the one guy whom I knew would be amongst the front swimmers. The course was 1 big loop, followed by an out & back section. At this stage I wasn't sure if I was leading or not, but guessed that I probably was. Being in limbo my mind did start to wonder a bit & felt I was doing a hard training ride, as opposed to racing. Not a good idea! I kept cruising along & as I approached the turn around section I saw 2 athletes going the other way. Right then "game on" I thought. I suddenly got my act together & started pushing the pedals with a bit more vigor. About 3km from home my spare tub fell off the bike. At €60+ quid I stopped & went back for it. Maybe a minute wasted, but worth it.
As I arrived into T1 I could just see the 2nd place athlete leaving, quick change into the new Zoot Ultra Ovwa runners & off I went. The course had a small loop & then 4 laps of a rolling 5km circuit. After 2km I was up to 2nd & could see first place. I kept concentrating on good form & closing the gap. The sun was out at this stage & it was getting hot. I moved into 1st with about a 1km to go on the first lap. At this stage it was a case of just keeping the pace high & counting down the kms. It was tough going & the hills hurt but I kept at it. I finally finished with a sub 1:19 run for a 4:05 win. Brilliant to get the win & start the new season!
Again hats off to the organisers, excellent race. It was definitely a tough day & I felt fairly beat up after. I don't like tea, coffee or coke so am not a big caffeine user, so after a day of caffeine bars & gels I am always wired & can't sleep. Going to see Hangover 2 had me even more hyped up, so sleep Saturday night was a luxury I didn't see a lot of. Sunday was suppose to be a relaxing 100km spin for the Tour of Louth. Unfortunately I punctured after 10km & spent the day by myself getting soaked riding on my own chasing the gold group. Nice was to come down from the highs of the day before!
Tour of Ulster Race Report - 5th May 2011
Our accountant was in with us this morning, & looked at me & said "you look knackered" pause "but knowing you am guessing you didn't have a single drink over the weekend". He was right on both accounts, yes I am knackered and no it wasn't from socialising. As if my Easter weekend hadn't been wasted in a speeding pelaton up and down the counties of the north, I decided to do it all over again for the May bank holiday weekend!
Breaking the spokes on the last stage of the Tour of the North had left me a little disappointed as a way to end my 2011 cycling season. Back in work on Tuesday a thought entered my head that was beyond stupid, "why not do the Tour of Ulster??". The TOU is 2nd after the Rás in Irish bike racing, all the top Irish riders do it as their last pre-Rás prep and a few English teams comes over as well. It would be a massive step up from the Tour of the North & I would get kicked about the place, stupid, stupid, stupid idea. But the thought wouldn't go away, so I looked at the race website & entry was closed, grand done & dusted. However just to make sure I called & was told, "yeah it's full, I'll put you in the reserve list though, your 5th in line". Sorted, plans made for an easy week before getting back into full on tri training.
Friday morning, there is the e-mail in my inbox, your in! Two quick phone calls to my trusted advisers who should have told me to leave it, both said "sure why not". So Saturday morning I found myself in Dungannon with 110 other cyclists, absolutely bricking it. Honestly I have never been so nervous.
3 days, 4 stages, 400km, 3,250m of climbing, 20+ Kinetic Gels, 10 bottles, 3 Kinetica 100% Recovery drinks, 2 packets of Bassets Jelly Babies later I was finished along with 66 other riders. To spare you a full run down of my pain & suffering, which would turn you off cycling here is a brief synopsis;
Stage 1 - 144km, 5 or 6 categorised climbs (lost count), went well finished in a small group few mins up on bunch
Stage 2 - 138km, similar number of climbs. Disaster out the back very early on, wasn't concentrating enough when the speed was on & let wheels go. A hard day riding on my own.
Stage 3 - 1km Hill Climb TT, 2+ mins of pure pain
Stage 4 - 124km with a Cat 3 climb of each of the 11 laps. What can I see the most pain I have ever experienced on a bike, I actually thought I was going to puke it was so hard
Racing bike is definitely being put away & strict instructions have been given to shoot me if I mention the Rás. This week I am going to take it real easy & get back into the swing of swimming & running next week. I may even dust off the auld tri bike & stick to a sport where you are master of your own suffering!
Tour of the North Race Report - 27th April 2011
I would like to say that my long Easter weekend went something along the lines of, Good Friday visit parents and despite my dad being almost vegetarian have a steak dinner as he gives a nod to his beloved Christian Brothers schooling. Saturday watching the football & rugby all day while in the pub & then head out for a massive session. Sunday spent recovering on the couch eating first bit of chocolate in 40days, while watching Arsenal beat Bolton (Bloody Arsenal!!) & Liege (screaming at the Schelk brothers to work over Gilbert). Easter Monday more recovery & Easter egg eating.
My Easter was nothing like that at all, as for the 6th time I completed the Tour of the North. This was the first time my club Cuchulainn entered a team & you can see from the photo the race was the better for having 6 such fine men on the start line!! Friday was the prologue up Stormont Hill, all 1.1kms of it. An over zealous warm-up meant I arrived at the start line with just 5 seconds to go & promptly finished 2nd last in the stage! Another great start, as I was also second last in this stage last year.
Saturday was a 100km stage from Portadown to Ballymena. The stage was fast with a lot of attacking but fairly flat and not overly hard. I had a go on the Cat 2 climb 12km from home & got away with some Dutch rider, who kept shouting at me to ride in a bigger gear. He kept yapping so I was almost relieved when we were caught!
Sunday was an epic 130km ride with 9 categorised climbs in Limavady. As if that wasn't a crap enough way to spend Easter Sunday it also rained a lot, until after the race and it brightened up lovely. The Garmin showed 1,600+meters of climbing at the end of the day. With the start & finish in the same place we also had that much descending, but with the slick wet roads this was mentally very tough. One of my team mates slid off coming down a climb and couldn't carry on. I was behind him when this happened and still don't know how I made it through!
The last Stage on Monday was 112km from Ballymena to Carrickfergus. Everything was going well and I was comfortable in the bunch, despite coming down a hill and been spun out n a 53 * 12! Then we hit a climb and I accelerated out of the corner, breaking 2 spokes in the process. A slow wheel change and unnecessary panic from myself meant I was out of the cavalcade. I chased hard for the next 25km and almost made it to the tail end of the cars but then we hit another big climb and it was game over. I eventually rolled in 25minutes down on the winner, a crappy end to what had been a good race.
So the racing bike is now hung up and I rode to work this morning on the Ridley (40km). Oh my god, how did I ever ride that thing 180km!! It hadn't been touched since Hawaii and to say the position was uncomfortable is an understatement. Might take out the yoga mat or get a date with a contortionist!
Blog Entry - March Summary - 28th March 2011
Finally a bit of decent weather has arrived, though there is still ice on my windscreen every morning on the way to the pool. Not complaining, am just saying, thats all. When March rolls around there is always a bit of bike racing to be done & I have jumped into a few the last couple of weeks. I always have mixed feelings about bike racing, I think my attitude is bad in that I go in thinking that they are just training & never really give it a proper shot. When your paying your entry fee & pinning on your number you should be going into win. Another problem is that I just don't have the "kick" the pure roadies have. When I accelerate it is like a barge getting up to speed. I have no problem riding along when the bunched is lined out at 50kph & could go on for miles & miles. However it is the going from 20kph up to 55kph in 100ms that kills me. Whenever I try to jump across to a group, I attack, put the head down & can close the gap, but my acceleration is so slow I usually end up pulling the whole bunch across & then the dirty looks start from the guys that were trying to get away.
My most recent race (picture below) was promoted by my own club's Cuchulainn, the Traders Cup. It was a great race except for a serious incident in the A4 race a few hundred meters from the finish. Our race came upon the accident 5 minutes after it happened as we were approaching the finish line. I was really surprised that many riders continued to race despite having to slow down to pick their way past riders lying on the grounds with blankets on them & ambulances parked in the middle of the road, not once but twice. Is an amateur race really that important? My bunch was about 2mins down on the winning break & we pulled out as we didn't want to get in the way & the race was practically over anyway. I have seen many accidents on the bike & luckily no one was seriously hurt in this, but it involved a lot of my team mates & once I saw it I just didn't feel like riding on.
Apart from racing my bike I am still swimming & running. Roadies have great excuses when they don't win, my personnel favourite being "I missed the break", to which I feel like replying "its not a f!*king bus service, there is no timetable when & where the break is leaving from". Maybe races should have a small announcement "Could riders interested in winning this race please make their way to the front of the bunch at 1:47 as the winning break will be departing for the finish line". No I much prefer my own brand of excuse "no it wasn't because I'm crap that I didn't win, it's cause I swam this morning before the race".
Blog Entry - February Summary - 25th February 2011
Bryan Keane, one of Ireland's premier triathletes chasing a place on the starting line in London next year, was involved in a very nasty accident towards the end of last year. Coming off worse from a run in with a car his bike was destroyed & body badly beaten up. Months of rehab and hard work followed and he finally made it back swimming, biking and finally running. He posted a video entry on his website of him running and saying how unbelievably happy this made him. He wasn't on the track or knocking out a crazy tempo run, he was just able to run and this made him deliriously happy. To the uninitiated they would have found it a bit strange that a professional athlete was getting so excited that he could run around a field, however to any athlete who has ever been injured they know the joy of getting back running.
But being an athlete that's never enough, you always want more! Firstly your able to run, say 20-30mins and your as happy as the proverbial pig. Then you want to run more, so you build up to an hour and again your happy....for a while. Why aren't you doing hard runs, hill reps, intervals? So you start doing these and your happy right? You couldn't run for what seemed like forever and now your out there knocking out 400ms, 800ms, hell even 1,000m reps, but dam it why do you have to be so slow!! Yes patience is a virtue....that is in short supply.
The point to all my rambling is I was injured and am slowly but surely coming back. I have started adding a few harder runs and can really feel how tired I am at the end of the runs. Your never happy, cause when you hit the times of last year, it's "why am I not faster than last year?". The true king of American cycling (no despite winning the Hell of the West in his first attempt at bike racing I am not talking about David Sommers from American Flyers) Greg Lemond summed it up best "It never gets easier, you just get faster".
Blog Entry - 2011 January Summary - 31st January 2011
Already 1 month down in 2011 and hopefully 1 month closer to the warm weather. In terms of weather this winter has been savage, as well as the snow it just seems to be constantly cold, hell even the pool seems cold some mornings. I always thought that the green house effect meant it would get warmer, which took away some of the guilt about global warming. Now we are getting crap environment plus crap weather. However despite all this coldness, 3 of the 4 ironmans I`ve done have been non-wetsuit!
I have a bigger obstacle to training these days than the weather, injury. Pretty much every year I will pick up some sort of niggle, that invariably curtails my running. These have at worst kept me out of running for a few days, a week tops. This year on the 17th I went out for an innocuous easy run at lunch time. I came back & someone commented that I was limping a little, I have a slight difference in the length of my legs so hear this a lot. I went back to work and about an hour later I got up to do something, I stood up & nearly collapsed! The rest of the day I could barely walk & hoped I would sleep it off. Slept grand that night, but walking was even worse the next morning. Got an appointment with Robbie Caraher that day in Louth Physio Clinic, Robbie has been keeping me going for year's now, which is quite a feat considering as he puts it "my unique structural make-up"! Basically I have a mis-aligned pelvis, one leg longer than the other and am as flexible as an old age pensioner (that's when I am healthy).
Anyway getting back to this predicament, I had someone how flared up the SI joint in my hip. Apparently this is a nightmare to treat as it varies so much from person to person. First up no training of any sort for the next few days. I had never before been in a situation where I couldn't do anything, but in this case even if I could have swam the walk to the pool from the car would have been too painful. Of course living in my little make believe world this was the end of it, the Wisconsin Ironman was too close to get ready for (its September!!) & I may as well just retire.
This continued until the weekend when I managed to venture out for a short cycle with no ill effects. Last week there was definite improvement & I was able to swim & bike as normal. I even tired the dreaded cross country skier in the gym, I actually hoped that it would aggravate the injury but it didn't. At this stage exactly 2 weeks later I still haven't run a step, but have walked a few miles up & down Louth Physio Clinic as Robbie watched me move. I have to thank the usual friends who listened to me moan about how the apocalypse had arrived because I was injured (self absorbed to say the least), once I had calmed down they pointed out that its months until September & I have 1 or 2 miles of running logged over the years. The injury is coming round & I now know that I will run again. I have informed the Dáil, NASA, NATO, WTO, because as Ron Burgundy said "I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal" well at least in my head I am!
Blog Entry - 2011 season start - 21th December 2010
As always when the season ends I toke some easy time. Stayed up late, didn't train with any great structure, ran a Movember 10km with my sister (I couldn't grow a Mo even if I tried) & ate crap. After a few weeks of this I decided to get back into some training for the 2011 season. It all started well & then the "big freeze" arrived. Bad weather just kills your training motivation, I can handle rain (usually) & cold temperatures with the right clothing but ice is the real killer. When it gets so bad you can't run properly it really gets you down. Thanks to a DIY job on my runners with some screws and the joys of re-discovering my mountain bike I managed to get through the bad patch & get some decent training done.
Now we are experiencing the "Big Freeze" part 2 & I have to admit I am really struggling to get the work done. The mornings require an extra 15mins driving to the pool to allow for de-icing of the windscreen and driving at 10mphs. Running is more like walking quickly & the turbo is the only real viable option. The weather coupled with Christmas & the fact that the 2011 season seems so far away is making everything very hard. Unfortunately/fortunately not impossible, just hard. So I am trying to roll out all the old American motivational sayings, you know "Winter miles means summer smiles", "HTFU" & my personnel favourite from some navy seal guy (who else?) "every morning I take an SIU pill washed down with a glass of hard". That one just makes me laugh & want to smack the guy for being an idiot! The only one that does work is from the greatest;
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights"
Who else, but Muhammad Ali! Enjoy the holidays & don't feel guilty partaking in the Christmas indulgences, I sure as hell won't!
Blog Entry - Season Wrap Up - 26th October 2010
Its now just over two weeks since Hawaii, while the sunburn is gone (but not the tan lines) the legs are still quite stiff or this could be due to 400km of cycling over the weekend. No I am not back in training but believe it or believe it not some people actually find cycling enjoying. Usually my long rides involve energy bars & gels, this time refuelling was a chicken roll with red sauce (Ballymaloe relish is unheard of in Ballina, Mayo). Yeah the body is definitely not 100% right but that probably has not been helped by my diet post-Hawaii. Lets just say that I am reversing the nutrition pyramid & have discovered a certain berry drink, that some mates refuse to order at the bar, "Jaysus Dolan bad enough you shave your legs & wear lycra but drinking that".
The 2010 season is all done & dusted & I have had a bit of time to reflect on it. One of the highlights was winning the Sperrin Half back in May. It was a great race, very well run however the finishing line blowing away as I approached it meant my authentic "hands in the air" winning pose had to be staged. Ironman Germany did not go as planned & as with most bad races there was no reason why exactly. I think the non-wetsuit swim bothered me a lot more mentally than I realised. It was something that I just tried to accept but in retrospect I possibly let it beat me before the race started. There was also other things in the build up to Germany that were not 100%, my training was good, but the mental focus probably wasn't what it should have been.
Despite not having a good race in Germany I got a ticket to Kona & I really felt that my training & focus were spot on for Hawaii. I had a couple of good blocks of training, a long cycling weekend & the good run in Kenmare reassured me that my training was on target. Hawaii itself was again an amazing experience, even more so this year. I was very happy with my race day, apart from my swim. While I didn't set the world on fire I did go 14minutes faster than the previous year & had the race that I deserved. It did make all the sacrifices worthwhile.
Looking back my sporting highlight of the year had nothing to do with racing, but was the Mizen to Malin Head cycle I did with my club, Cuchulainn CC. It was such a unique & enjoyable experience, a mix of hard work & good crack with an amazing bunch of people. Of the 40 people involved with managed to raise almost €20,000 for local charities here in Dundalk & I would like to thank all those that supported us.
In a few more weeks I'll start eating properly again & add a bit of structure to my training with a view to the 2011 season. In the mean time I once again want to thank the Superstore for their support throughout the season. It's a lot more than just product they give me, they are always telling me about new proudtcs, while many a time stuff has been sent me on an overnight courier to ensure I had it in time for race day or if the bike needed a bit of work done it would magically jump the que. Also a thanks to everyone else who supported me throughout the year, all the well wishes before the race definitely help.
Now I have to go & face my biggest obstacle of the year, reading at my sister's wedding on Thursday. I argued my case that I am just a dumb sporting jock & couldn't possibly coherently read anything. She replied saying your blog is well written so write something for the wedding. Give me an ironman any day!
Blog Entry - Ironman Race Report - 11th October 2010
Racing is done, the awards have been handed out & is now time to pack the bike before my flight this afternoon. It is the Monday morning after Saturday's race & I feel like I went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson & then got run over by a truck. My legs ache, I have chaffing burns everywhere, ulcers on my lips & bad sunburn complete with blisters. And to top it all off I discovered the famous Hawaiian Mai Tai last night. Ironman + Beer + Mai Tai = well lets just say I pity the fool who mixes all three!
To the race itself, up at 4am & had my usual race breakfast of porridge, white bread, scrambled eggs & ham. Down to the pier for the printed body marking, no scrawling on you with a marker here. I will remember the number 1651 for the rest of my life, as it is now burnt onto my arm. Pre-race on the pier is a special atmosphere, getting your stuff together as the sun comes up over Kona Bay is a unique experience. News of Chrissie Wellington's flu was spreading like wild fire & suddenly all the pro females (& a few males) were smiling a bit more. The pros started at 6:30, while I was in yet another line for the portaloo. About 6:40 they started shepparding us into the water & as the beach are is so small they want us to get in quickly. Problem is as its a deep water startyou are threading water, without a wetsuit, for 10/15mins & people were definitely starting to get cold. The paddle boarders were having none of the usual creeping forward, I should know as despite my brick like swimming ability I lined up at the very front.
Gun went & we were off. I have to say I never enjoyed an IM swim as much. I was getting good drafts & not knocked around too much. Last year the swim for me was pure misery & I seemed to spend the whole day on my own. This year being only 4mins faster made a world of difference, I had people around me all day & when I got to T1 the transition tent was still really busy & plenty of bikes around mine. It gave me such a mental lift, as honestly last year it felt like everyone & packed up & gone home by the time I got out.
Out of T1, through the industrial estate, down Palini, short out & back & then welcome to the Queen K! The course has a lot of climbing on it. Nothing crazy steep but it is just 1 climb after another, it never seems to let up. The wind when we turned for Hawi was blowing, you could see why disks are not allowed. Couple of times you were riding at a 45 degree angle leaning into the wind. It was hell & very slow going. after the turn around you did have 10 odd miles of 53 * 11 just absolutely flying. An IM bike should be largely uneventful, you ride at a pace that you could hold a conversation at but would prefer not to & you eat & drink. At 30miles to go the wind picked up again & that last section into the headwind really wore me down. Its a strange feeling when you are looking forward to getting off your bike to go run a marathon.
Back to the pier & the crowd was massive. The first 10miles is out & back along Ali'i drive & this is the most enjoyable part of the race. Your happy to be off the bike & the crowds are amazing. These guys cheer! Borat is there in his mankini, flags waving & you spot the Irish faces. Then you climb Palini Hill back onto the Queen K & BANG faceplant into a lonely world of hurt. I was running strong & looking forward to getting to the Energy Lab. It is 6 miles out to it & all was on taregt, The temperature had dropped a little & we had a bit of cloud cover so it wasn't too bad. In the Lab I started to get a bit of a stitch but kept going & exited the lab back onto the highway feeling good. Then the legs came off & the demons started getting into my head. You are just so tired, your legs feel like lead, your burnt, the thought of another gel seems as appealing as having brussel sprouts & everything is just crap. I walked through the aid station, hitting the magic coke. Then somehow I started running again to the next aid station, more coke. At this stage it came back together with only 4miles to go & I was feeling strong...ish. Then mile 24 & the long climb on the Queen K & bang I went again. I dragged myself to the top of it & somehow made it down Palini Hill without falling over. At the bottom I was running alongside a 60year old woman & I was thinking how did she beat me, until I realised at Ali'i drive she was turning left and had 25miles to go, while I was turning right & had 500ms to go. Liam 1, Lady 0!
I stumbled onto the mat and soaked up that finishers feeling. Crossed the line, a few volunteers caught me & brought me back stage to bask in the glory of another notch on the IM belt. The pain for the first few minutes is terrible but slowly you come round & as you stand there despite feeling dejected slowly a warm afterglow spreads throughout you & you start to think that your retirement decision may have been made a bit too quickly.
So the stats, 9:31 for 170th overall & 34th in my age group. 6th fastest age group bike split of the day is something I am quite proud of. Also a 3:11 run is respectable, my swim though was terrible, but I actually enjoyed the swim & that has never happened before. So my season & Hawaii journey is over. I will de a recap in another day or two when I have had a chance to think about everything & give the final synposis on my 2010 season. Time to go & pack!
Liam Dolan Kona Ironman Race Result - 170th overall; 34th in his Age Group
Liam Dolan - our sponsored athlete finished his second Kona Ironman last weekend. See his results below:
- SWIM: 2.4 miles (1:25:45)
- BIKE: 112 miles (4:47:13)
- RUN: 26.2 miles (3:11:15)
- OVERALL: 140.6 miles (9:31:15) Position: 170th
Congratulations Liam!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 9th October 2010
The bike is at the pier, in the rack. Bike & run bags are hung up, nothing left to do now except get ready to race! Sitting on my couch now & will spend the evening watching a few movies, stretching, drinking & eating. At this stage all the training is done & nothing else can be achieved. For some bizarre reason my legs feel like lead today, absolutely no idea why, but no point in worrying about this cause what will that achieve? On Facebook my pictures from the under ware run have proved to be very very popular. The opening ceremony last night was again very entertaining, with some funny speeches & Hawaiian fire dancers. The MC Bob Babbitt explained how he did his first Hawaii Ironman on a bike he bought for $15 at a police auction. He had a pair of cut off denim shorts & a long sleeve cotton t-shirt plus a grizzly adams beard. He had panniers on the bike with a sleeping bike attached as he thought you swam, then cycled 56miles, slept for the night & did the rest the next day! It toke him over 20hours to finish.
The lady in the photo with me is Pearl.She is the oldest female competitor in the race at 77. I met her here last year the day after the race. During the bike she came off & fractured her collarbone, she got back up on her bike & on she went. She started the run at 76 years old with a fractured collarbone & made it home within the 17hour cut off. When I am suffering tomorrow I will draw strength from thinking of the training I have done, the sacrifices I have made, my family & friends & I will think of how a 77year old woman is out there racing just like me & how she won't quit as long as she can keep moving forward.
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 8th October 2010
Expo day in Hawaii & I scored a lot of swag. With the exception of Cervelo, everyone wants to give you stuff & despite being nearly 10 years out of the great institution that is UCD I still love free stuff! My suitcase coming home will have about 10 additional t-shirts & any number of hats. What will I do with all this stuff? No idea but is hard to say no to free stuff (my mum's from Cavan). Fabian Cancellera's road & TT bike from the tour where there & also Lance Armstrongs Trek Speed Concept, complete with some funky thing over the rear derailleur, which has apparently since been banned by the UCI. The new Scott Plasma is seriously cool looking. However of all I saw I can safely say that the RIdley Dean looks as sexy & fast as any of them!
Speaking of porn the real stuff happened this morning, the Underpants Run! This famous Hawaii event sees athletes run a mile along Ali'i Drive dressed in their underware. Now this is not your Dunnes store worn out boxers, no people make a big effort, you see some real characters! The best look is white Y fronts complete with compression socks & heart rate monitor strap. As for the women...lets just see was some nice lingerie on show. While compression was all the craze last year, kinso tape has hit with a bang this year. Honestly people are covered in this blue & pink tape. One women ran braless but had her boobs taped up to preserve her modesty! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of that. I have posted plenty of pics on Facebook so send me a friend request if you want a look. Search for Liam Dolan & the photo of me is a real non-tri cheesy one.
The opening cermony is tonight & if is anything like last year it should be very enjoyable. We were treated to fire dancers, good food & some entertaining speaches. Bob Babbit of Competitor Radio is a funny guy & will hopefully be MC again for the event. Then its Friday, pre-race day & the nervous energy in Hawaii should be enough to power the massive cruise ship docked in the bay. I like to get my bike checked in as early as possible so you can go home & just forget about it for the day. Time for one last swim & brick tomorrow, will do 20mins of each with a few pick-ups to keep the legs fresh. Though at this stage I believe its all in the head.
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 7th October 2010
Its 8:20 here at night & it is so hot. The sweat is literally dripping off me as I type. I'm just in the door from the Zoot party. In the attached photo is Luke Bell (5th here in 03), Sam McGlone (2nd in 08), Jake Johnson (Zoots Athlete Officer) & Dave Purcell (Zoot Run Shoe Designer). Also me, the "token" Irish guy. The party was at the Zoot house, bar-b-q going & beer aplenty! Unfortunately most of the athletes, myself included, were not exactly laying into it. However Chris, who designs all Zoot's compression clothing, did us a favour & vowed to drink our share! They are also having a Zoot zone on the run, so as we trudge by mile 1, Zoot have a pool complete with beer & hot dogs.
Today was another day of very light training, a 30min swim in a rather choppy Pacific, followed by a 60min bike & 10min run. I tested out my race clothing, using the new Ultra top & the pocket in the back works 100%. With nothing to do for a few hours I headed off with a few team GB age groupers on a tour of a coffee plantation. I am not a coffee drinker, but am now a coffee expert. The island has a 22mile strip that grows coffee & apparently every day at more or less 4pm, like clockwork, it rains. I wish we could have that in Ireland. Do a deal with mother nature, we'll put up with the crap weather but could we have it at the same time every day so we could make plans?
Tomorrow is a complete rest day, though I will probably go down to the pier at 7 & swim out to the coffee barge. Not to drink a cup, but how often do you see a floating coffee bar in Ireland? After that it off to the expo to check out some serious bike porn. Its like when your walking around the Superstore looking at all the new shiny toys, except only a lot bigger. Anyone have a spare credit card they are not using?
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 6th October 2010
The big show is in full swing now & I have even managed to sort out my technical difficulties, picture attached. Every morning kicks off with a swim at 7am and there is a great atmosphere about, completely different to your normal Ironman. Ali'i Drive has people running up & down it all day. Literally all day, people of all shapes & sizes & speeds going up & down the 7miles of road. Most are wearing next to nothing & sweating like....insert your own image here! And of course there is the ubiquitous compression socks. Luckily the Germans seem to have finally realised that Speedos should only be worn in the privacy of your own home (Faris take note), though there is always one or two die hards wearing them.
The big event today was the parade of nations. All the countries walk through Kona town and there really is big numbers out cheering for us, Ireland has 6 athletes on the starting line, the newest being a lady, Una, originally from Tyrone, but living here in paradise for the last 10 years. Sun, sea & sand, not a bad place to leave Ireland for. We were well kitted out & definitely were a big hit with the crowds, all we heard was "Ireland....Guinness".
Again the pre-race atmosphere here is just so different to the European Ironmans I have done. There is a bigger mix of nationalities & people seem more friendly & relaxed. You do see the pros around quite a bit, though they are definitely not laid back looking. I guess it is just the Hawaiian culture, natives seem to have 2 speeds, slow & stopped.
Despite all the festivities, that will continue for the next few days, there is a race looming. It is odd training so little & having so much free time. Now even registration is all done (fairly average swag bag, the organisers should do the Lost Sheep to see what a goodie bag should look like) & the course barriers are starting to go. Roll on Saturday morning, I can't wait!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 5th October 2010
Things are definitely starting to get busy here. Apologies for the lack of photos but there has been some technical issues.
However my tub is fixed & I was back out biking on the Queen K. Wind was ok, but it tends to be a lot stronger at the turn around point in Hawi. While swimming this morning amongst the usual plethora of tropical fish I saw a turtle & even more impressive a black mantra ray. You just don't get to see those things in Camlough Lake.
All race festivities offically kick off tomorrow with registration opening, followed by the parade of nations. An interesting lecture in Hawaiian culinary delights today. While stopped at lights out cycling I started chatting to a guy holding a sign directing people to a bar selling beef burgers & beer. So I asked are they good? He replied "best in town, no additives in their beef, like protein or other crap". Meat with no protein?? Thats just water. Gross generalisation but I guess homeless people holding signs for a living aren't espeically well versed in nutrition.
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 4th October 2010
I finally made it to the Big Island & its even hotter & more humid than I remember. The journey over was long, 3 flights to be exact. The Los Angeles flight was peppered with lean athletic types that you knew were on their way to the race. Then when we rechecked our luggage for the Kona flight the amount of bike boxes was crazy. I landed late Friday night & was straight to bed. I had worn full Zoot Compression gear on the flights & felt the better for it Saturday morning.
Headed down to Dig Me beach for a swim. Oh what a change from following the black line & avoiding the blue rinses, pure bliss. Afterwards I put the bike together for a few hours on the Queen K. The winds were crazy & I could completely understand why discs are banned. Way out was 25kph,, grinding it, way back cruising at 50kph. Cruising until BANG, a blown tub, very very annoying!!
Sunday was another morning swim followed by a run in the delightful Energy Lab. It is the most eery place on earth, just black lava rock & massive solar panels. With the humidity here sweat just drips off you once you step outside. God bless the person who invented air conditioning. It is still relatively quiet here with the vast majority of athletes yet to turn up. Plenty of the superstars around though, saw Macca swimming & Chrissie out cycling (both are so famous they don't need surnames).
The expo kicks off on Tuesday & thats when it is full on race week. The floating coffee bar will be there, trust me its not easy to thread water & drink at the same time. I'll let you know how exactly I managed it!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 27th September 2010
Qualified back in July and was months away. Slowly but surely the months became weeks away, now is just days until I leave, Friday to be precise. Excited is an understatement and looking forward to the movie fest that will be the London to LA flight.
It was a funny week of training, in my mind last Sunday I was all done and dusted, feet up, relax. But the last week still ended up being over 16hours of training with some long stuff and plenty of hard work. Tapering is like that you forget that while the bulk is done, there is still little bits of work left to complete. Training was very up and down with a great session being followed by a terrible one. That pattern sort of repeated itself all week.
The training load is down dramatically again this week. Is strange reading my programme and seeing weekend sessions like "easy open water swim to get use to the conditions at Dig Me beach" and "Bike from Hawi back into Kona" (by the by if your ever in Hawi the BEST ice cream in the world is sold there!). So it is definitely time to start packing and breaking the bike down. Shorts, t-shirts, sandals, what a great packing list on days like today when it was 3oC when I was going swimming this morning.
On a side note it was a bad week for the Ridley engineers. The amount of work they put into developing the Dean, dubbed "The Fastest Bike in the World". Am sure they spent countless hours in wind tunnels, looking at data from computer assisted models, below is a youtube link to them working with Cadel Evans at the velodrome. Am sure every detail from the paint scheme to the R-flow slots, was agonised over. All that work for what I think is a very fast work of art. Arriving home from a training session the other day, what did some kid on a BMX say to me? "Your bike's gay" The youth of today, no appreciation for beauty!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 20th September 2010
Its Taper Time!
While not as much fun as Hammer Time, tapering is when you know the hard work is done & race day is fast approaching (less than 3 weeks till we all line up on the pier). Believe me the hard work is done, finishing up yesterday & I can honestly say I am knackered. Now it is about cutting back both the volume & intensity to make sure you are in peak condition for October 9th. When you explain the whole "rest is when you get stronger" thing to people not involved in sport they just think your lazy & that triathlon is actually pretty easy. They hear the cutting back part & just assume that means you sit around do nothing. To put it in their terms I usually say "well its like going from extreme nutbar levels of training to the same level as the guy in the local GAA club who is considered an absolute fitness freak". Yes triathlon is all about excess.
The last big week of training was fairly uneventful. It was just a case of getting the work done & grinding it out. It finished up with one of my least favourite sessions the double run day. After a 4hr brick in the morning trying to drag yourself out for another run, even though is a lot shorter, takes a lot of mental energy. But I got through it & while there is still work to be done all the big miles and epic sessions are not firmly tucked away in the log book.
I have always taking my nutrition seriously & having worked in the sports nutrition industry back in the day (as well as studying food science) whey protein is my secret weapon of choice. When your doing bit volumes & 2 a day sessions, sandwiched in between internet surfing, sorry work, you really need decent fueling. Kinetica, a relatively new Irish Sports Nutrition company have been helping me out with some product, which has been greatly appreciated. I have been using their standard whey and their recovery drink (both of which can be got in the Cycle Superstore). They are also working on some excellent new products, so watch this space. Additionally they even have cycling jerseys as modeled by yours truly (still haven't got round to getting the hair cut, I just use more gel each week).
Friday week I`ll be in Dublin airport getting ready to start an Ironman journey (3 flights, the highlight being London to LA at 11hours). I can't wait to hit the Big Island!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman & Lost Sheep Race Report - 13th September 2010
A week that started out with lemonade, turn to lemons, but with a bit of sugar lemons make nice lemon jam! Last Sunday I felt on top of the world finishing the Mizen to Malin Head cycle with Cuchulainn CC. Again it was a brilliant 3 days of cycling, however my cycle home from Malin on Monday was a cold disaster of a day. I was tired after the 4 days of long hours but the programme meant I would be pushing on for another 2 weeks before starting my taper. The week was going ok and my long run on Wednesday (30km) went well & I was happy with how I was recovering. Then my Thursday morning hard turbo (yes despite hating the dam thing I still use it regularly) went south, I just couldn't hold the wattage I should have been hitting. Also Friday's swim was a bit slower than should have been.
After my early swim on Friday I packed up the car and headed to what is my favourite race, Cork Tri's Lost Sheep in Kenmare. I can't put my finger on what exactly makes this such a great race but some of the things are, great organisation, amazing course, the goodie bag, Kemare is just a brilliant town and going to Jam after the race for the world's best cakes! I missed the Lost Sheep last year because of a family wedding & my outstanding memory from 2008 was the high tide swim. Well history does repeat itself and despite the club's best efforts the swim was a disaster due to the recent heavy rain and tides.
I lined up at the very front and started quite well. Out to the first buoy and things going well. The swim was to continue under the bridge, out to a buoy and turn around to T1. After the first buoy the bridge was only a few hundred meters but it just didn't seem to be getting any closer. Eventually I got under it and all I could see was a line of swimmers and no buoy. Swimming for what seemed like an age & still no buoy. Then the cold started to creep into the shoulders, back, chest & legs. Swimming away but getting slower & slower & still no sign of a turn around buoy. I glanced over to see if I saw any swimmers coming back and no not a sinner. I was really starting to get cold and very disorientated as I seemed to be going nowhere & not knowing where I even should be going. Then bang, the legs just wouldn't move & I started shivering. I looked around & couldn't see a boat & panicked a bit. Just then a boat came along & pulled me out. I was shivering uncontrollably & they wrapped a thermal blanket around me. I got dropped back to T1 and got a volunteer to help me get my wetsuit off as I just couldn't do it. Race over...or so I thought.
I put on every scrap of clothing I had in T1 and by the time the last finisher exited T1 the volunteers thought I know looked sufficiently healthy to go on if I wanted. While still cold I thought why not (a good friend of mind attempted the bike in Austria last year despite slicing his knee in T1 & getting stitched up!). The first 15/20km of bike were a disaster, my heart wasn't in it & I just wanted to pack it in. To get myself motivated I thought of a few people I knew racing that if I really put my mind to it I could catch. I stuck at it & eventually came good, I even ended with the second fastest bike split of the day. From one extreme to another I was baking on the bike because I was wearing a ton of layers.
Into T2 and took a while to get everything off and I set out on the run ready to go as hard as I could. By about 8km I had passed all but 1 of my goals. The run had changed since I last did the race and I thought it was significantly tougher with a lot more rollers. I eventually saw my last goal person going the opposite direction & realised it was probably a bridge too far, however I stuck at it. Well by the end I had passed the person, had actually moved up to 12th place and posted the fastest run of the day (Bryan Keane wasn't been pushed for the wind so am sure he could have run a lot faster). A trip to Jam post race, a good night in Kenmare and riding the amazing Ring of Kerry the next day, turned what seemed like a hopeless situation while I sat shivering in the boat wrapped in a thermal blanket into a good end to the week!
Just under 4 weeks now to Hawaii, actually leave on Friday 2 weeks.Also after posting some photos last week to answer the most widely asked question, yes I will be getting my hair cut soon. I have just been on the road the last 2 weekends!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 7th September 2010
Last week was what I would call Epic. It started off normal enough until Thursday lunch time when myself and 40 other members of Cuchulainn Cycling Club boarded a bus destined for Mizen Head County Cork, as far south as you can go in the country. Bikes and bodies all loaded we hit the road along with a number of support cars. My parents were driving the support van and my brother was also riding, so was a bit of a family affair. After a few photos we set out from Mizen Head at 8 on Friday morning, on a fairly misty but really warm day. The day was due to be 220km, however thanks to my group getting well lost in Limerick it ended up being 230km. Limerick was a scary experience, we were lost, hungry and getting pretty stressed. Our slightly out of date map showed that the road we should be on was no longer a road but a newly built motorway. Well desperate times called for desperate measures and a hope the the gardai wouldn't see a group of six cyclists riding along in the hard shoulder. Eventually we made it to the hotel, tired & battered but without any blue flashing lights. The runners were very reluctantly taken out for a short run, which was not enjoyable but needs most.
Saturday was another long day of 190km finishing in Cavan. Road surfaces were significantly better and the weather gods were shinning on us as again, there was not a drop of rain and the prevailing wind meant we enjoyed another day with the wind on our backs. Each day had a soup and sandwich stop not long after the half way point and mentally it really makes the long distances that bit easier. Plus proper food beats energy gels any day of the week (would ham & cheese gels work?). After the scenery of the first day around Cork the midlands wasn't quite as much to look at. Turf anyone? We got to the hotel in Cavan and I headed back out the road to give the other groups a hand get home. With some relative newcomers in some of the other groups a small push on the back makes a big difference. My parents moved to Cavan a few years back so it was funny for them staying in the hotel and living only a few miles down the road.
The final day of the trip dawned on Sunday morning and very tired legs were throwing over the bike one more time. It was to be the shortest day at 180km, but someone forgot to mention that we had 20km from Malin Head back to our hotel. That journey was the toughest part of the trip as it was into a gale force wind and mentally you felt the trip was over. All the groups met up before arriving at the light house at the end of our island and it was an amazing experience all arriving into Malin Head in our club gear. There was a bit of a crowd there, Irish flags and a few bottles of champagne broken out. When we got back to the hotel we celebrated in style, despite the tired legs. The two photos are of my parents, myself and my brother in Malin and Mizen head. Look at the smiles and bags under the eyes to figure out which is which!
The next morning a bus was arranged to get us back to the safe heaven of Dundalk, however I decided I needed a few more miles. Mother nature did not approve. The tailwind we had for the previous 3 days was not a gale force headwind and oh how it rained. After 5 hours at an average speed of 26kph, I was drowned. When the support van passed me 70km from home and offered a lift I didn't need to be asked twice!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 30th August 2010
All good things must come to an end and my enjoyable rest week is over! Back to the hard work this morning in the pool and a long run this weekend. Ahh well I definitely enjoyed it while it lasted, savouring each & every one of those seven days. It's now into the final push of the year, with another solid three weeks of work before the final three weeks of scaling back. This time around I have a few events in this period to break up the routine.
The first is the Malin to Mizen head starting this Friday. My cycling club, Cuchulainn C.C. is 75years old this year and have promoted a ton of events to celebrate the occasion, such as hosting a stage end/start of the FBD Ras, a unique Team Stage Race, Irish National Criterium Championships and now this cycling challenge. There is 35 riders plus support crew hitting the road out of Cork Friday morning and so far the club has raised close on €5,000 for Dundalk Simon Community, Down Syndrome Louth and the Irish Cancer Society (if you want to donate click on "sponsor a friend" at www.mycharity.ie Enter Cuchulainn and choose one of the three charities). Day one sees us make it to Limerick and on day two Cavan before the final run up to the wilds of Donegal. There is plenty of strong cyclists in the club so it should be a "challenging" three days of long rides. There is also plenty of characters in the club so I expect a laugh or two along the way.
Unfortunately while the others are resting up in the evening I`ll have my runners in the back to do just a wee bit more. Speaking of runners I was in the Superstore on Saturday (so many nice bikes, my latest craving is for a Cross bike) to collect my new runners for Kona. Again I'll be in the Zoot Tempo 3.0, after yellow last year, blue for Germany we will be pimping white runners. If only they would make a lovely Irish green, if I win Kona I`ll ask nicely. Actually if I win Kona I`ll ask for a tricolour pair!!
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 23rd August 2010
I made it, just finished 3 weeks of solid training and now have an easy week. The body definitely feels like it needs a bit of a break, especially with the last weekend which saw a 200km cycle and 42km of running the next day. The Zoot compression gear definitely helps, but even it has it's limits! So the rest week doesn't mean I'll be sitting round sculling beers for a week (I wish) but the training volume & intensity goes down a lot. Also my accommodation in Hawaii has finally been paid for, even though the lost cheque never turned up and An Post's "investigation" is still ongoing, am sure they have drafted in more people onto the case.
In my quest to deal with the heat & humidity that I will be racing in while in Hawaii I have turned into someone we all know. This guy, while not wanting to be an ageist, does tend to be of "mature" years. He dresses the same regardless of the weather, vest, shirt (all buttons done up), tie, V-neck jumper, cap and heavy jacket buttoned up. As mentioned this outfit is worn regardless of the weather, now if the mercury pushes up to 20oC plus he may remove the cap, past 25oC (very rare I know) the jacket may be unbuttoned. Well I am him, I train in full winter gear! The other day I was out running & unbelievably it was a scorcher in Dundalk. Towards me came another runner, wear runners, tiny sports socks, running shorts and heart rate monitor strap, nothing else. I on the other hand had compression socks (tri geek), knee length shorts, long sleeve base layer with t-shirt on over it, hat and gloves. I got "the look" from him, as in you my good man are a nutter! Well I couldn't argue with him, I did look like a nutter!!
After my rest week next up is the Mizen to Malin head 3 day cycle, or it could be the other way, I always get them mixed up. New roads and something different, looking forward to it.
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 16th August 2010
Two weeks back into proper training and the little spring I had in my step last week is definitely gone. I always work on a 4 week cycle, which basically is 3 weeks building followed by a rest week. I am now at the stage where I am salivating at the thought of taking it easy next week. I just layed down another solid week, the addition of a GPS to my training arsenal has kept me honest. Whereas before at the end of the run your mind would wonder and your pace inevitably slow, now the pace clock is there to keep you in line! This week is more of the same, except a little bit longer and then a week of rest, maybe a trip to a seaweed and health spa for a solid seven days of pampering is required?
My on going saga with trying to pay for my condo in Hawaii hasn't been sorted yet (apartment in Ireland, condo in America, kerb vs footpath, the list goes on). I have reverted to Paypal and an Post have written to tell me that they are "investigating" the lost cheque. Yes I am sure they have a team of ex-gardai working on it 24/7 and that top execs at an Post have their jobs on the line over this.
Remembering the heat and humidity in Hawaii last year, this year I am making an effort to wear more clothes in training. On Sunday last it was over 20 degrees in Dundalk. Out for a run I met a guy running towards me in a pair of shorts and topless (completer with HR strap on). However I was not in a position to slag off his appearance. What must he have thought when he saw me in a black tri suit, with a black long sleeve base layer underneath, winter gloves and a hat? Also if I didn't look ridiculous enough I also had on my black Zoot compression socks. Well if it stops me from melting under that Hawaiian sun I`ll take looking like an idiot!
Speaking of the Zoot compression gear it will be another big week for it, especially the recovery tights. I need something to keep me together until the rest week. While I am well aware that is is just under 8 weeks until race day I just realised that it's only 6 weeks on Friday until I leave.
Blog Entry - Preparation to Kona Ironman - 10th August 2010
I have decided to put pen to paper, well fingers to keyboard, and chronicle my journey to Kona 2010. Maybe someday I can sit by the fireside with the grand children and go through this blog as we share a bag of Werthers Originals, "Granddad did you really only ride 10speed blocks back then?". We are just under 9 weeks out from race day on Saturday October 9th and after a few weeks post-Germany of taking it easy and allowing the body to recover I am getting back into the groove. It's strange because with the pre-Germany taper and post race recovery it is 6 or 7 weeks since I did any serious training. My fitness is definitely not where it was before Germany but that is to be expected, you have to take steps back to go forward.
My flights and accommodation are booked, but thanks to An Post losing a registered letter containing a rather hefty cheque, the accommodation has not been paid for. The Hawaiians are so laid back that they don't think a letter taking over 3 weeks to get from Ireland to Hawaii could possibly be lost, I could swim to Hawaii in 3 weeks!
As part of my build up I have 2 big events planned, firstly a Malin to Mizen Head cycle with my club on the first weekend in September and then the Lost Sheep Half Ironman in Kenmare on September 11th. I am particularly looking forward to the length of Ireland cycle. This is something that I have always fancied doing and as part of my cycling club's (Cuchulainn CC) 75th anniversary a few guys decided to organise this trip. We have over 30 members signed up as well as a back up support team and intend raising money for a number of charities. We will be covering 600km in 3 days and at that stage it will be a great break to get off my own local roads and see some new scenery. The following weekend its down to Kenmare for the annual date with the sheep. I missed last year so hopefully the sheep won't have forgotten me. Then October 1st its off on the epic journey to Kona, via Heathrow and LA. I can't wait!
Kilkenny Tri - July 24th 2010 - 3rd
Three weeks after Ironman Germany I had my first race back, the Olympic Distance race in Kilkenny. I was in Kilkenny for a stag and the stag also being an odd-ball, sorry triathlete, there was quite a few of us who decided to do the race, as a warm-up for the day's festivities. Sensibly they had all choosen to do the sprint race, whereas I for some sadistic reason decided on the olymic. Half way around the run, as my legs reeled in agony from a marathon less than three weeks ago I cursed myself for not doing the shorter race as well!
I lived in Kilkenny for a couple of years once upon a time and always thought it would be a great location for a race and this turned out to be true. The swim in the river Noir was right in the middle of the city and I always get a small buzz from swimming under bridges, I think its because there is always a crowd on the bridge. To the uninitiated they must wonder what are all these rubber glad ejects doing in the water! Transition was on a great little forest walkway beside Kilkenny Castle, however it felt very long as it had to be negotiated in barefeet, which was bloody sore.
Once out of the castle we set off on a fairly uneventful two lap bike course and back into the city for a 4 and a half lap run. I exited the swim in the top 20 (thankfully unlike Germany wetsuits were allowed so my Zoot Zenith was back in action, I love this wetsuit!) and entering transition 2 I was in fourth spot and could see second and third. Zoot Ultras on and I set off on the run. The run laps were amazing around the castle's park, very scenic. Once the run started my legs felt heavy and while I knew that I could potentially win this race or at least finish second if I was willing to dig very deep, I always knew that the effort would leave me in a bad way. With Hawaii only 11 weeks away was wouldn't be a wise option. I settled into a pace that while uncomfortable was bearable and luckily this netted me third place on the line. Speaking of the finishing line, again quite spectacular with a large finishing gantry outside the castle.
Overall this was a top class race and definitely one that is sure to grow now that the city knows what a triathlon is and what it can bring to the area. It also lived up to it's billing as having an excellent after party. As to the rest of the stag, well what goes on tour stays on tour! So after my last night of post Germany debauchery it's time for the hard work to start for my next date with the Lava fields!
Ironman Germany - July 4th 2010 - 18th
The finishing line party for the last finisher.
Everyone was sitting in a stuffy ice skating rink & sweating hard, not just because of the lack of air conditioning but because we all wanted to know whether wetsuits would be allowed or not. The magical mark was 24.6oC, below was heaven above was hell! We were assembled at the race briefing and this was all everyone was thinking about. Of course the announcer knew once he told us this we would all switch off mentally so he punished us by going through every other bit of information first. When the wetsuit issue is playing on your mind your not really listening about the order of water, bananas and energy drink at the bike aid stations. So eventually he got to the point. The lake had been steadily rising and was now at 25oC, wetsuits would be staying in the hotel on race day.
You actually are surprised how much more time you have in transition when you don't have to lube up and squeeze into neoprene. This left more time to be nervous and worry about what lay ahead. As always I lined up at the very front of the swim start. I had decided to swim with my Zoot Ultra tri top on. I find that the compression section in the back is very comfortable and feels better in the swim. The start was relatively calm and bar one or two slaps went off without incident. Sighting was very easy as unlike most ironman swims they actually put out a lot of buoys, also I liked the two laps, getting vertical for a few seconds while running between the laps was nice. Once again in a long swim I had stomach issues where it feels like gas is building up and your bloated. A few breaststrokes seems to bring on the much needed burp!
The route to T1 meant running 300 odd meters up a sand hill, which was a killer. Not having to take a wetsuit off meant it was a quick in and out and onto the smooth German roads. The first 12km section of the course is taking the motorway back into Frankfurt to start the two laps. It is a seriously fast section of the course as it is slightly downhill. The unsettled stomach continued and I threw up (over myself of course) a couple of times. I have had this happen in both my previous ironmans so I wasn't worried at all. The sky high temperatures of the last few days had actually dropped a little and it was reasonably cool on the bike.
The bike route has a number of hills that are named like American Football teams, "Heartbrake Hill" and "The Beast" being two of the more illustrious ones. In reality none of them are too bad and the atmosphere on Heartbrake Hill is Tour De France style with big crowds and DJs. The real killer is the short section of cobblestones! I have a new found respect for riders who do Paris - Roubaix, they are an absolute killer and shake the fillings out of your teeth. The road was covered in bottles, spare tubes, energy bars, stuff just hops off your bike and am sure many a spoke was broken. The other highlight of the course is racing through downtown Frankfurt, though because of roadworks the roads were very narrow and you had plenty of people running out in front of you. This section definitely breaks your rhythm and you are loosing speed. Overall the bike went well for me, I felt strong throughout and did a good job of keeping fed and watered. Having been on the Ridley Dean since May I have had absolutely no problems in terms of comfort with it.
Leaving T2 the cloud cover had gone and the temperature had started to pick up as I faced into four laps. Lap one and two were largely uneventful. I concentrated on keeping the heart rate and pace steady and got a few gels in along with water and energy drink from every aid station. There was a lot of support on the run and I couldn't figure out how so many people were shouting my name or as the Germans like to pronounce it "Lime". This was really driving me crazy until I eventually coped on that my name was printed on my number. Not exactly rocket science but intellectually your not at your strongest during an ironman. Lap three the wheels came off for two or three kms but a trip to the bushes got me going again. After that I felt a lot better and was running strong starting into the final lap. Two km in and the demons were back and the walking started followed by the feeling sorry for yourself, the promises to quit triathlon, etc. However at 5km to go I had an American moment and took an SIU pill and started running (I read an interview once with some Navy Seal type and when asked how he coped he replied "every morning I take a Suck It Up pill and wash it down with a glass of hard"...bloody muppet). I kept going for the 5km and eventually got to make the turn for the final 200m onto the finishers shoot. There was a guy not 200m in front of me and I just didn't have the energy left to pass him.
The finishing shoot in Germany is really impressive with the grandstands on either side of the red carpet in the middle of the square. Once you cross the line you are then whisked into the finishers area. This is a great place to relax, get cleaned & fed and start to feel somewhat human again before meeting real people. The finishing line party was amazing, the winner gets a few cheers and a bit of clapping, last place gets balloons, lighting, fireworks and way more people. Someday I want to finish last.
My finishing time was 9:32 and I was disappointed with that. Obviously the non-wetsuit swim and additional 5km on the bike because of road works (so much for German efficiency) meant it would have been slower, but my run time was well off the pace I should have been holding. Despite this the next day I had qualified for Hawaii and despite still having some sunburn from last year I just couldn't say no. So it's back to coffee, swimming with dolphins, humidity, heat and that dammed Natural Energy Lab....lying basta....
Camlough Triathlon - June 6th 2010 - 4th
This was my sixth time racking up for the Camlough Triathlon, held only a few miles from where I live it is very much a local race for the men and women of Setanta Tri Club. My first time doing it was in 2005 and it was my first proper race, having done a try-a-tri the year before. My 2006 race ended in the emergency room in Newry hospital. I cut my foot getting out of the water & only noticed it after the race. I showed it to the ambulance and being over zealous (and bored to tears) they stuck me in the back of the ambulance, there was a real panic with them I wasn't allowed to get my gear or tell anyone where I was going. Full sirens on they rushed me to the emergency room, where I sat like a complete nerd in my tri suit surrounded by people who actually were sick! Eventually a nurse saw me & said "what are you doing here, it only needs a bandage?". Luckily it has gone better since then.
As always the sun shines on race day in Camlough and the first wave went off at 2:00pm on the button. My navigation skills really deserted me and I followed the triangular course like a drunken midget! Into T1 I almost lost more time as I had to stop myself from starring at my Ridley. I am still in complete awe of it and when I get the race wheels in it just looks amazing! As well as looking amazing it also did the business as it got me back to T2 in fourth position and with the fastest bike split of the day. Every year you forget just how hard that bike course is. The first climb starts as soon as you get your feet into your shoes, then you hit the small by road and the climbing doesn't let up.
The run was a bit "blah" as they would say in Waterford (or is a blah a sandwich??). I knew in 5km I couldn't catch the guy in front of me and was unlikely to be caught from behind, so I cruised around but lacked the motivation to really go for it. When I say cruised I still suffered like a dog on the hill that you climb on each of the two laps. In 59mins I crossed the finish line in fourth, the same finishing position as last year. As always the finish line in Camlough has a great buzz, as does the whole village on race day! I love the picture as I leave T2, I am hitting the timer on my watch, so like a true tri geek I can analysis heart rates and times later!
Sperrin Half Ironman - May 8th 2010 - 1st
My 2010 triathlon season kicked off with the Sperrin Half Ironman on Saturday last (May 8th). While the sun was shinning brightly and high in the sky the temperatures unfortunately were not. Actually driving to the race at 6:00am on Saturday morning the car at one stage read 0oC and I saw a very small touch of frost. I had been dreading the lake swim for a few weeks and this was not doing much for my confidence.
The race, a new one on the calendar organised by Tri Limits, was taking place at the incredibly scenic Lough Fea, just outside Cookstown in County Tyrone. The scenery was top class, as was the whole event, with one of the best goodie bags I had ever received. The race started at the somewhat acceptable time of 9:00, as opposed to the typical 7:00am start for a half. With a relatively small field there was a more relaxed feel to the day, however everyone knew once the gun went it would be came on.
The lake was crystal clear and looked inviting enough, but the few hardy souls who attempted a warm-up said otherwise. Reading my race report from Kenmare in 2008 you will know I don't handle the cold weather that well. My strategy included ear plugs, silicone swim cap, neoprene swim cap and then the latex race cap, plus some vaseline on the face for good measure. I also decided on a dry land warm-up, as warming up in a freezing lake didn't seem possible. It seems I was not the only one opting for the dry land warm-up and the race organisers literally had to herd us into the water.
The gun went and my initial thoughts were "this isn't too bad". That thought didn't last long as I could feel the cold creeping into the body, while my swimming got slower and slower. It was just a case of get on with, push aside the negative thoughts and get to transition 1 as quickly as possible. I honestly thought about packing it in but to do that you would still have to swim to the exit. Speaking of transition 1, I would have loved to have been a spectator for the comic value. It was like a play school, with frozen athletes stumbling like children round the place and struggling to perform the most basic of functions. I was so cold I couldn't get my gloves on for the bike, so just went without them.
The first few miles of the bike saw more of this un-coordinated, child like behaviour. I didn't really know what I was doing and the chattering from my teeth was disrupting my thinking. The fact that the bike started with a fast and twisty downhill section did not help & how I didn't end up in the ditch is beyond me! Eventually I settled down and set about making up some time. This was only my third ride on my new tri bike and what a bike! The Ridley Dean is a dream to ride, aero, rigid and thanks to the fit I got, comfortable. The bike course was rolling and had a couple of long straight sections into a stiff headwind. Definitely an honest course! With the small field it was hard to gage exactly how I was doing, the marshalls gave plenty of encouragement and a few updates, but whizzing buy it was hard to decipher exactly what they were saying.
Two laps completed I made my way into transition 2 and I saw only 2 other bikes racked. Third was ok, until a marshall told me I was 5/6 minutes down. Time for the Zoot running shoes to work their magic. The half marathon was a 4 lap out and back afair and nearly all off road.
Again the scenery was stunning as the race ran through a national park. Getting close to the turn around point of the first lap I met 1st and 2nd coming the other way. They both looked to be moving very fast as well as being smooth & comfortable. I on the other hand was dying, however I couldn't give up until I met them at the same point on the second lap to see if I was gaining or loosing. When I did meet them on lap 2 I saw that I had made up a decent amount of time and if I was willing to open Phil Liggit's "pain box" I could win this race.
I would like to say that I pinned my ears back and majestically soared around the rest of the course, well not quite. I just kept plugging away and thought as much as I am hurting they are hurting too. By lap
3 I had moved up to 2nd place and early on lap 4 I overtook the leader. Now it was just a case of keeping my pace to the line.
Having not won many triathlons I was looking forward to crossing the line and breaking the winner's tape. I turned off after my last lap and started my approach to the finish line, while deciding between a cartwheel over the line or maybe a handstand. However I was completely upstaged by a huge gust of wind that actually blew the finishing gantry over right before I arrived! It had to be put back up to stage a photo. The organisers had a bar-b-q and massages in the post race area and I have to say the burger was a lot more enjoyable than the massage. The legs were a little tender to say the least.
So a great start to the season with a very successful outing on the new bike. Hats off to the organisers, the event was superb and is certain to grow & grow each year. I discovered a strange thing that evening, while having a shower I noticed I had been.......sunburned!
Big farmers lines from the trisuit. So a morning that started with a touch of frost and a swim in a glorified ice bath ended with me being sun burned. Irish weather, are we even surprised??
Ironman Hawaii - October 10th 2009 - 160th
After weeks, months, years of anticipation I was finally on the Big Island of Hawaii. As soon as the doors of the plane opened in came the heat & it still hasn't let up. Kona is a triathletes dream during Ironman week. Everywhere you look is Powerbar, Gatorade, GU, Timex etc. adds along with the ubiquitous MDot logo. Then there is the people, everyone is tanned, skinny and super fit looking. The bikes spinning about the place are made from materials not even invented yet! This was the one area I didn't feel out of place as my own Look 496 looks as good as the best of them! Most of the action takes place on Alii Drive during the week and at no stage of the day is there not someone running up and down that street. I think the homeless here just run up and down this street all day long. The week is a serious buzz of activity and there is always something happening and the superstars are everywhere. Norman Stadler (twice a winner here) seemed to be permanently camped out in Lava Java (the place to hang out pre and post race). With so much coffee no surprised he packed it on the run!
Race day eventually arrived and the feeling on the pier that morning was electric!! The pros are walking around, queuing for body marking and looking just as nervous as the age groupers. The Navy put on a show with a few parachute jumpers this helped to keep our minds off what lay ahead. Was 6:30 and already the sun was doing what it does best, while rumours of the wind at Hawi (bike turn around point) spread throughout the athletes. Finally after all the excitement we were in the water and bang the cannon went!
I had the new Zoot Speedsuit for the swim and while obviously not as fast as a wetsuit they are a huge step up from a pair of speedos. Unfortunately it just didn't work it's magic on me and I had a terrible swim. I felt fine and don't know why I was so slow, I had even read Michael Phelps book on the plane on the way over. However while swimming so slow I did get to see turtles and all manner of tropical fish, to say the water is clean would be an understatement.
After 1hour and 30minutes I finally got out of the water. My bike looked incredibly lonely there all by itself, with tumbleweeds blowing by. At this stage I was in 1500th odd position, out of 1800! I got on the bike hopeful that in the next 112miles I would pass 1 or 2 of these people. 4:49 later I got off the bike and felt proud to have completed such a legendary course. The ride out to Hawi and back is everything its described as, long straight roads, horrible scenery (black lava rock one side, blue sea the other), steady rises that go on and on and finally the wind! The Queen K highway is unforgiving, The last 18miles up to Hawi is a gradual climb and we had head wind the whole way up, it was brutal. The wind would change every few miles from head to tail and then gusts from the side. I just kept in the aero bars, drank Gatorade like my life depended on it while occasioaly depositing my stomach contents over myself. With the sun shining and the blisters forming on my left arm (I could actually see this happening) all was good. I got off the bike with a 4:49 which was there are there abouts for a top 10 age group bike split.
Now we had the famous Hawaii Marathon. Leaving the pier you head down along Alii Drive for 3/4miles turn around and come back into the centre of Kona. This part of the run is great as your really well supported and happy to be off the bike. Then you climb up Palaini Road and back onto the Queen K and its dead, just you and the pink elephant speaking in tongues to a blue whale, well that's what I was seeing. The next significant point on the run course is the Natural Energy Lab, no idea what this name is about as there is no energy in here. Its in a bit of a hollow so is no cooling wind and the temperature goes up to over 40oC. I would guess this is something what hell is like. Around mile 15 the legs were hurting and the walking had started. The lab just started to kill me and when it eventually ended you still had 6 miles to go. What a long 6 miles, I made myself every promise under the sun if I kept going, I would quit my job and train full time, I would quit triathlon, I would buy myself a yacht, I was so far gone I even believed myself,
Finally you turn a corner and your back on Alii Drive and the crowds are screaming, music blaring and you realise your going to finish it. The biggest and hardest triathlon in the world, were legends are made and reputations destroyed and then you hear it "Liam Dolan you are an IRONMANNNNN"
I had managed to move from 1500th up to 160th odd position, that has to be a record for people passed. So my season is over and once again I have to thank the Superstore for their great support throughout the year. The bike and top class Zoot gear were great all year, I even got to the official Zoot party in Hawaii and meet the founder of the company and the infamous Sister Maradona, an American nun who at 79 was the oldest female competitor.
Lough Muckno Tri - July 18th 2009 - 1st
After the highs of Ironman Austria I was wondering what it would be like to race again in a smaller race. I got my answer on Saturday at the inaugural Lough Muckno Sprint Triathlon in Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan. The race was part of the town's festival and my club Setanta Tri, was very involved in the organisation. The race was excellent, one of the best races in terms of atmosphere and organisation I have ever been to. Also I finally broke my duct. I have finished second in Kilkee, Kenmare (twice), Carlingford, Camlough, Caroline Kearney, but had never actually been first across the line in a triathlon. I did once win a duathlon in the US, but a relay team actually crossed the line before me. So now I have finally won a triathlon, crossing the line first.
Race started with a long 750m swim in the lake. Being introduced to the crowd as the Irish ironman record holder was nice for the ego, but the swim cap did seem a bit tighter fitting. The swim was a new experience for me, actually swimming in the lead. Well not quite the lead but I was in the top 15 out of the water, what can I say the Zoot Zenith 2 is fast! Again T1 was another new experience, I am used to arriving in T1 to any empty car park with tumbleweed blowing past, however this time there was actually bikes in T1 and lots of them. I was using my Look road bike for this race and like the Look 596 tri bike it is fast and comfortable. Grabbed my bike and by km 3 of the 20km bike course I was leading. I was once briefly in this position before and its brilliant, you have a car with flashing lights showing you the way. The marshals and crowds all have big cheers for you, as the novelty of the race is still fresh.
Off the bike I had a fairly commanding lead and decided to hold back a little on the run, as I could still feel a bit of the ironman in the legs. Quickly on with the Zoot Tempos for 2 laps of the island in the lake we swam in (no we didn't have to swim again, was a bridge to the island). Run course was really scenic, except for the hill at the finish which near killed me. True to form after the ironman I reverted to the one piece Zoot tri suit, versus the 2 piece used in Austria. I still maintain that 2 piece suits have no place in anything shorter than ironman. I saw enough euros in Austria running in speedos, belly tops and compression socks to scar me for life!
Afterwards race organisers said that local bogger fm wanted to interview the men and women's winners. Was doing a short interview and realised that I recognised the DJs voice. Having never actually listened to bogger fm I was wondering why I knew the guy's voice. The only mistake the organisers made all day was confusing small town bogger fm with the national radio station Today FM!
