Racing 795

[Race Report by Brian O’Shaughnessy]

Frank, PJ, Brian and Lorraine at Clogherhead. (Photo by Pixels Promotions)

An early start as usual of 6.45am when you have to travel with Laurel(aka Frank) and Hardy(P.J), the lads always like to get there a good 2 hours before the registration tent is even put up. Collecting Lorraine on the way, hoping that we’d woke Barry and the 3 nippers in the process, PJ in fairness never put a foot wrong till Frank stuck on the Sat Nav and duly got us lost within 5 minutes. Sea looked pretty rough when we got there, but most people we talked to before hand said it was going to go ahead. Registration which was out in the open bar a small tent was quite slow for anyone who queued like Lorraine and myself, no problem for the two boys who took the ryanair express route! Goody bag wasn’t bad, main thing was a bag for carrying your wetsuit. Transition was either side of the road with plenty of room and well marked. Wetsuits on and ready to go, Lorraine in wave 1, Frank and myself in wave 2 and PJ in wave 3. The organisers put a buoy out in the water and it was blown down the coast about a km in no length – swim cancelled, to be replaced with a 2.5km run. In hindsight just as well cause I reckon Frank and myself would have ended up close to Belfast if they had let us in!

First run was on a flat route out and back with a strong wind in our snots on the way out. Up on the bikes for a nice quick start with the wind at our backs for the first 2/3 km. After that it was a series of rolling hills and not as flat as expected, surface was good however and virtually no traffic. Couple of long stretches with the wind in our puss which was hard going for all but the last 5km were very cool – really fast section running right beside the sea with a gale at your back. Out and back 5km run (200m short of 5km probably) pretty flat for the most part, met Frank, Phil Murphy from Wexford Tri and Pj who was motoring very well. Nice finish with loads of support along the way. A good day for all with a partly injured Frank with another very good time on the bike, Lorraine with a great 2nd run (24 mins versus the 30 minutes plus she was predicting!) and getting close to breaking 40 minutes (if we could stop her from admiring the houses along the course!) in the cycle but PJ took top honours with top dog on the cycle after a few maulings from Frank recently and top 5km run to round off a seriously good and consistent year for him particularly on the running front. He will go hard on the club championship this year and deservedly so.

Now If only we could have been beamed back home at this stage – Lorraine and myself had to listen to Carlow/Galway version of little Britain for the next two and a half hours. Between colour choices of compression socks, arm warmers, racing 795 underpants and yoga (Frank – you and yoga are just plain wrong, it’s like crisps and tomato sauce, it’s just not right)

Personally my neck was sore this morning from having to check were the bikes still on the carrier the whole way home.

Would I do this tri again? Yes, really good course, best transition of the year, little or no traffic and well organised.

(Thanks to Jim for the Bike carrier and PJ for driving and Frank for the thay, biscuits and getting us lost)

Result and Photos available on TI site

Filed under: Tri Race Reports |