Tri An Mhi Olympic 2016

This year’s Tri An Mhi race was an Olympic. For years associated with being a cold half distance event at the start of the season, this race now takes place in mid June as the Triathlon Ireland ‘Race Calendar’ starts to get very full. The wide choice of races available on the same weekend, including the Super Series City of Derry Triathlon in Derry and Hook or by Crook in Waterford, means the front end of each race is weakened by absences.  But the overall standard of the top five in each race was very high illustrating how the standard of finishers in any triathlon held across the country is now very high. There are no easy races. 

I opted for Tri An Mhi as it is only about an hour’s drive from my house. I am more or less opting out of the Cat 1 series this year as Triathlon Ireland seem deaf to complaints that there are too few races to score from. If you can’t make the first two races of the season for any reason (e.g. sickness, injury, family commitments, job commitments, etc.), you are left with having to do all the remaining four races to score. This level of inflexibility needs to be addressed. If the National Series were run this way there would be protests, but many Cat 1s don’t complain as most of the top racers are young and have few commitments outside triathlon. But I digress. 

As an alternative to driving all the way to Waterford or Derry, Collinstown on Lough Lene in Westmeath could not be better. The organisers had gone out their way to organise the car park and transition area in such a way as to allow those wanting to leave after the race to watch the Ireland Euro 2016 football game, to do so safely. I parked immediately beside transition around 8:40am and stepped out of the car. Race preparation was well under way and the atmosphere was good. The sky was overcast and a bit chilly compared to the sun in Dublin, but it promised to get warmer as the morning progressed.  I registered with the happy faced volunteers in a marquee alongside the lake and looked out over the water whose surface was a bit choppy. I like a bit of chop, so no complaints there. I walked back to the car and got out my bike and gear bag before sitting back inside to warm up (why did I wear shorts?). 

Once warm, I got out and walked to transition where I racked the bike alongside a few lads who appeared to need most of an entire rack for their bike. What is it with some people? I can understand taking up room if you expect to be in the top 5, but increasingly those taking the most space in transition are those who have spent loads of money on a bike and gear to look the part, but whose final result means they should have allowed faster racers the racking spots closer to, for example, the run exit from transition. Anyhow, all this could be solved by race organisers simply sticking race numbers onto the bike racks. Bike racking should not be first come, first served. I found a sport between two racked bikes and squeezed in my bike. I quickly completed the ritual of attaching my bike shoes to the bike, squeezing talc into them and into my runners and left everything ready to go.

Before long it was race briefing time, so I zipped up my tri suit, climbed into my wetsuit and began walking to the lake side. I zipped up a woman’s wetsuit and she did mine, then the briefing was underway. There were no surprises. I pulled on my swim hat and goggles and lined up to be counted in the water. The water temperature was around 15 degrees, so it felt warmer in the water than out. I warmed up and then swam over to the start. The lake water was clear so it was easy to avoid others warming up. The start line was three deep and before long there was a count down from ten. I started swimming expecting it to be a bit fight club, but it was ok. I swam a little wide to get my bearings and then swam back into the mass of swimmers. I found a rhythm and worked away behind swimmers in front. The choppiness of the water suited me and I found myself passing some swimmers who were lifting their heads or stopping for a second. I could breathe with every opportunity as I was being hit by chop, but I found this ok.  Then it was round the first buoy, again without any issues beyond touching a few feet. Swimmers were strung out in a line at this point and it was easier to navigate. I turned at the next buoy and started for home. The line broke up as people started swimming hard and trying to find the straightest line to the finish of the swim. This section took a while. I kept expecting to see the bottom under my feet, but it was a long time coming. Then I was standing up and running toward transition. 

This was quick. The wetsuit came off easily. I clicked on my helmet, put on the glasses, lifted the bike from the rack and ran to the mount line.  I’d passed people in transition, now I had to pass people on the bike. The bike course was undulating for the most part, with a couple of long straights. There had been some tough climbing on the old half distance lap, but the new Olympic course contained nothing which required use of the granny ring, though in places you had to get out of the saddle. The two laps went quickly, a bit too quickly; the bike course was short by around 2km. This is to take nothing away from the excellent marshalling and well thought out course. On some courses you reach a point where you are not sure which way to go, but not on this one. Each left turn was well flagged in advance and heavily marshalled to make those turns safe. It is very reassuring when you are cornering at full speed to see traffic being held back for you. 

The final section to the dismount line is downhill, so it was quickly off the bike into the racking area.

I hung my bike, pulled my shoes on and, hat in hand, I was off. I could hear lads behind me, but I just concentrated on holding my running style on the undulating run out. My heart rate was high, but I was feeling ok. I’d drunk 750ml on the bike and I wasn’t thirsty. No one came past me in the first 5k; then I turned at the turning point and began my way back. I started picking up pace as the course seemed to go downhill to the finish. I held my position throughout and was pleased to cross the finish line without losing a place. It was a fast run split for me. I turned and shook hands with those crossing the line shortly after me. The sun had come out briefly and there were smiles all around. I drank some water and then ate a baked potato with cheese and beans – why not? 

I started to feel chilly, so I asked for my bag and changed into warm gear. I walked back to where the results were coming in and had a look at mine: happy enough. I noticed that David Graham and Brendan Buck had come first again as they had the previous weekend in Blessington. That’s come consistent racing. Then it was time to take my bike, wetsuit and runners from transition. Pack the car and head off back to family life. This was a well organised race across a course suited to an Olympic. There is a need to extend the bike course a little, but this is a minor issue. The swim and run legs are both great and the volunteer marshals were all enjoying themselves. Would I do it again? Yes I would. This is a race which I hope will become a fixture in my calendar.

Bray Aquathon - Race 1 2016

Last night Wicklow Tri Club staged the first of their aquathons races of the season on Bray seafront. Years of practice has made these races better and better. Last night I walked from the Dart Station to register at the Martello on the seafront. The Martello’s sponsorship of these races is a real plus, as you can go in and use their facilities knowing they are a race partner. It is also great to be able to register on the night. Pre-registering for races always assumes you will make it, injury free, to the start line. I received my race number and Amphibian King sponsored hat and then walked to the toilets where I changed into my tri suit (coming straight from work this was the only choice). I then went and sat in the sunshine – yes, the rain had given way to blue skies: people were putting on suncream!

The race volunteers were everywhere and they all knew what they were doing. Neat numbered boxes for every racer, a well marked and marshalled course with an excellent finish area beside the bandstand on the seafront. The sea front was busy as it was now sunny and warm, but having done this race many times before, I knew it wouldn’t be an issue for runners, as people stop and watch or gladly move aside bemused by the tri suited runners.  Before long I needed to warm up, so I dropped in my bag and went for a jog. I returned just as the briefing got under way, quickly putting on my wetsuit and grabbing my hat and goggles.

The swim was south to north this year and so we walked down the seafront towards Bray Head. As we walked, it seemed the swim would be a bit long: the buoy placement wider than I’d seen in previous years. The women started first and were quickly around the first marker and swimming along the seafront. Then we were counted into the water which seemed cold at first given the warm outside temperature. There was some good natured banter as people warmed up and then the canoeists called everyone to the start line. Then 10, 9, 8 … we were off. I found it hard initially to breathe as the distance to the first marker was short and required a sharp left turn. Once around the turn, I gradually got into a rhythm, though I am struggling to get comfortable in the swim legs of races this year. The swim was long. I’d say around 850m instead of the 750m. This probably brought the first ten or so swimmers closer together than would have a shorter swim. I got to my feet and ran up the mat on the beach.

Crossing the footpath when exiting the beach is always fun as there is plenty of support and you can see the first runners just starting into the 5k. I whipped off the wetsuit and hopped on one leg as I dragged on my runners. Then it was into oxygen deficit. I started catching runners quickly and then got to a position where I knew I’d catch no more. The 5k is two laps of the seafront and two climbs up the first section of Bray Head footpath. It is tough stuff. Running full blast, eyeballs, out, you suddenly find yourself labouring up the hill until you can’t breathe and then lashing down the hill trying to get going again. I was a little slower this year, but it didn’t feel it. It felt hard. You can hear your breathing labouring and your heart beating out of your chest. No one is taking it easy. Coming down the hill for the second time, I held the fastest pace I could while trying to avoid knocking down pedestrians. Finally, I was turning off the Bray seafront footpath and toward the finish line, then finished.

The true class of this race then ensues. The Martello provides a massive cauldron of soup and trays of excellent sandwiches. Standing at the finish, in the sunshine, eating soup and sandwiches was very enjoyable. Chatting to people you quickly realise this is why they do it. There is a real sense of camaraderie at these events. Everyone has come through it. People talked about the slightly long swim, but all agreed it was better to have been longer rather than shorter.

I eventually got changed and then left before the Amphibian King sponsored prizes were handed out. I had to get home. The sun was only starting to go down over the event as I walked away. This race runs like clockwork and this should be a source of pride for Wicklow Tri Club. The other point worth saying is that this race leaves no trace – no rubbish, no wrappers, no drinks bottles, etc. Even the wet footprints evaporate. It is easy to see why this race is allowed to use Bray Seafront three times each year. At e15 for the race, this is an incredibly good value event and a great introduction into racing duathlons.

Blessington Triathon is a race and a social event

The standard at all triathlons, duathlons and aquathons is high these days. The local village fete could hold a charity race and it would attract top racers determined to find a podium somewhere. An example of this is the Blessington Triathlon. A charity event, organised as a partnership between Blessington Sailing Club and Downs Syndrome Kildare, this race started three years ago with some solid results, but for the past two years the winning time has been on a par with any event in the country. This is a positive. There are no giveaways any more. There is always a top performer in every race against whom you can compare yourself. No triathlete can be slagged off for choosing a local race over a national race because it is “easier”. They are all hard and the results show this. I entered the race on the recommendation of club mates who had done it. The race organiser is Willie Purcell who runs good races. He also ran the National Duathlon Championships this year. This is a well organised, friendly, race. 

The first thing I liked was the reasonable start time of 10am. Allowing for registration and bike racking, this meant I didn’t have to get out of bed at some unholy hour as happens time and again with triathlon races. The location, at Blessington Sailing Club is a scenic one. It is easy to find via Google Maps and I got there no problem from Dublin (via the N81). I drove down a laneway, parked the car in a field and walked down to registration in the club house overlooking the lake. Registration was easy and tea, coffee and snacks were available for all. I stood chatting to members of my club and we agreed this was a great venue for a race. The early fog was lifting to leave sunshine behind. I racked my bike and began to get ready for the race. This mostly included applying Vaseline around my wetsuit chafed neck. Before long it was race briefing time and then into the water. It was warm enough. The lakes seem pretty warm at the moment. 

The Olympic race’s mass start was a bit silly. Unnecessary sprinting at the start by swimmers who inevitably slowed. I had one lad climb on my back, but I pushed him off and moved on. The swim seemed slow as while the big yellow markers were highly visible, taking an exact line seemed hard. Perhaps there was a current in the water. A couple of swimmers seemed to be miles ahead by the first marker. I slogged through the rest of the swim. It was a triangular shaped course, with the furthest marker seeming a long way from the finish. I felt land under me and ran out of the water into transition where I struggled a bit to get out of the wetsuit (my ;legs seem wider this year J). 

Then it was onto the bike for two laps of a 21k course. It was a fast enough course with some harder undulating sections and it was quite technical in places. The only area I found a bit scary was on the N81 where cars were trying to get past by coming too close to the bike. I was in the TT tuck position and I could have touched two of the cars that passed me. I’d also note that I did not see a motorbike official and this is badly needed. I gave a lift to a few riders along the way and this is not right. Drafters should respect faster riders and drop back out of the draft zone. If not, they should be caught and penalised. I gradually worked my way through the field and was pleased to finish the bike feeling fine. I drank around 700ml on the bike, so I expected to get through the majority of the run with no more fluids. Sections of the run are a bit horrible. It starts with a hill, then you do more hills, then you go back around a loop on the course to take a different route up to the top of the same hill, before running back down the bike course to the finish. 

I was happy with the race. I chatted to other finishers at the end and to club mates before getting a cup of tea, retrieving my bag and having a nice warm shower in the club house. I then had more tea and cake. The atmosphere outside was good and people were starting to collect their bikes and gear. The prizes for first places were given out and after this I went home. I had been an easy race all around. There have subsequently been issues with the race results, but this is to do with the company hired for this and I feel sorry for the organisers. Hopefully these issues will be quickly resolved and the remaining prizes dished out. Would I do it again, I would. As a sharpener for other events, it would be hard to beat. Do I recommend it, yes I do. I’d make it the club race and bring all the new to tri club members there for their first race. It is not just a race, it is a social event. I haven’t drunk so much tea in years.

Belpark Duathlon Series 2016 - Race 1

The Belpark Duathlons in the Phoenix Park are always eyeballs out affairs. If you turn up expecting a cake race, you are in for pain. Starting not far from the Papal Cross, the race course incorporates a 2.5km run loop and a 4km bike loop. To complete the race, you must bust your lungs on a run lap, your legs on three bike laps and then drag your cramping legs round the run loop again. You also enter transition for two frenzied visits and have to wheel your bike to and from the mount and dismount line.

This year’s race was, as always, well organised and Belpark are to be commended for this. They are also due immense kudos for being able to convince the Office of Public Works to allow these races to take place in the Phoenix Park. Access to the park for racing cannot be taken forgranted, as Cycling Ireland has found out in recent years. That triathlon clubs are still managing to organise races in the park is great news and everyone taking part should bear this in mind when racing and be respectful of this.

The race start was a little delayed because so many people arrive and want to register on the night. It is easy to register online and it’d make things easier for those running the race if people did this. This way, the race would finish earlier and people wouldn’t get cold after the race waiting for the TI Official to allow bikes to be removed from transition. The evening was sunny, but not too warm. Decent racing conditions for the run and the bike with dry paths and roads. It was a little windy on the bike, though I think this added to the bike leg by taking a bit more out of everyone’s legs before the final run.

I have done this race before, so I knew the course, but I still did a lap of the bike and run courses to warm up. This is not a race you can start cold and, being short, a long warm up makes no difference to your performance. If anything, going in warm, loosened up and hydrated is just what you need to try to avoid cramp.

After the race briefing, things moved along quickly and suddenly the starter airhorn sounded and we were off. I tried to run at 95%, but this plan was dismissed as I tried to hold onto the small group of runners I found myself in. I didn’t find the early pace as extreme as I was expecting, though I was still breathing hard. The wind made little difference on the run. Before long transition was in sight and no one came past me as we entered. I ran to my bike, kicked off my runners and clipped on my helmet. I had decided to try using my road bike

My tri shoes were already on the bike meaning a run in my socks to the mount line some 60m away. I had a few issues getting into my shoes as they moved position during the run to the mount line, but I was soon in the saddle with my feet snugly fastened. The first stretch was into the wind and it was hard to put any power down. I also felt tired. It had been a hard coup of weeks of training and races. As I pushed on the pedals my legs and hips felt sore. As I turned down the ‘no passing’ zone (this area is controlled to allow traffic into and out of St. Mary’s Hospital), I felt the wind lessen and my pace quicken, then it was onto the bends and up the Khyber. I could feel my legs warming up and my still laboured breathing beginning to calm. Then into the second lap and I could feel my speed picking up. I hit the Khyber and started picking up places. On the third lap I was flying and wishing for a fourth. I had caught up almost to the front of the race and needed a bit more road. But then it was dismount time – I clicked out of my tri shoes and jumped off the bike in my socks. Then I was running with the bike back to transition.

Into transition, I hung my bike, unclipped my helmet, pulled on my runners and wished I was a faster runner. The guy in front was only 10m ahead but I was cramping a little and could see him starting to gather pace. I did my best to hold close to him but he slowly pulled away. I didn’t look around to see if there was anyone behind. What’s the point? I can only run so fast. I ran as hard as I could and held my position into transition. I felt better at the end that I had in my previous outing at the Belpark Duathlon, but I still needed a minute before I could stand up fully and drink some water. It doesn’t seem possible to pack so much racing into just forty odd minutes.

The atmosphere during and after the race was great. There were photographers taking photos, marshalls and organisers all doing their jobs and racers still flying round the course and then coming into the finish. There were refreshments aplenty and a coffee stand for those in need of resuscitation. I had enjoyed the race and the atmosphere.

I took off my race gear and put on my cycling gear for the spin home. I stayed warm as best I could, but it was a while until I could get my bike out. Eventually those waiting for our bikes got the thumbs up and I lifted out mine. I quickly attached lights as it would be dark when I got home. I was expecting the 20k bike ride home to be hard with stiffening legs, but it was ok.

I’ll be back.