Paul May

What a great day; I finished my first Triathlon in one piece!

We left Dublin at 9am, and got to Blackrock (near Dundalk) well before the start at 11.30am. By the time we got there the transition area was teeming with people, with nearly 200 competitors setting up their transition areas and bikes and getting ready for the swim. I got a good spot on the racks, and set up my drinks and gear ready for later with plenty of help from Cliona who came along for the support (thank you!).

The first wave waded into the shallow swim course at 11.25, and at 11.30 they were off. The swim was a triangular course out into the sea, then a right turn at the first marker, then another right turn back towards the shore. I was in the second wave, we had five minutes to get to the start buoy, and on the sound of the horn we set off. It was a bit like swimming in a washing machine, arms and legs everywhere - but I settled into a rhythm; trying not to swim too quickly in the first 100m. The water was so shallow that it would have been possible to walk the course, but I made an effort not to put my feet down too many times - only once as the pack rounded the buoy (I should have gone wider at the buoy to avoid the crowd), and then about 50 metres from the shore when swimming became a bit pointless in 2 feet of water. So, that was the swim.

We got out of the sea and ran two paralells of the beach, then into the transition area (14 minutes in at this stage). I wasn’t too bothered about doing a quick transition, so I took my time, getting out of the wetsuit, washing the salt off my face, having a drink, then I grabbed my bike and ran out of transition, then onto the bike and away down the road. The cycle was great, a 9km course out of Blackrock towards Castlebellingham, then back again; 18km in total. There’s not too much to say about the cycle - I made it back in a little over 30 mins - not a time that’ll set the world alight, but not too bad.

The transition off the bike was fine, more drinks and a few struggles to put on my socks and runners, then off at a slow pace down the road. I was really worried about the run; my training for the running has been non-existent because of injuries, but I wanted to give it a go, on the condition that I’d stop if there was any pain. The great news is that there wasn’t - I really stuggled to catch my breath in the first 2K, then I ran slowly and steadily for the rest of the 6K course. I ran *really* slowly, my time was terrible - but I don’t care. I got to the finish line at around the 1 hour 16 mark.

It was a great feeling crossing the line. Ed and Aoife who went in the first wave were there ahead of me, along with the other 130 people who finished ahead of me :) A big hug from Cliona was really welcome after the run. The race wrapped up with a barbecue and prizes for the front runners, many of whom got home in under 1 hour.

So, that’s it. Well done to all the organisers who made the day run like clockwork. Well done to Ed, Aoife and Pras also from the Crumlin Children’s Hospital team who made it through their first triathlon as well today. Thanks to Orla my physio, all the coaches with Piranha for the training so far, and special thanks to Cliona for the support and patience.

Onwards to Chicago, 2 months to go.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 24th, 2006 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.