Racing 795

[Report by Don Morrissey]

“Leptospirosis (Weils Disease) is a rare and severe bacterial disease that incubates in the body and can cause death in certain cases if not treated properly”, or so the Vodafone Dublin City Triathlon Website and pre-race emails stated. Not the most enticing of PR I’ve ever encountered….
Luckily I’d done this race last year and the chances are, well lets just say ‘slim’. I did email the officials to see if snorkels were allowed due to the threat, but……

So it was that time of year again, the season finale or close to it anyway when the Dublin City Triathlon arrives upon us. It’s a tough technical slog but strangely, one I like. As Gavin Noble (our Olympian) put it, ‘not the fastest course I think’. 5.30am rise and after some plodding around searching for gels, found myself in transition at 7.45ish. This year the transition was completely changed from the difficulties encountered in 2011. The Racing 795 slots were beside one of only two trees in transition, so myself Frank and Fintan had the best marker possible, no need for usual transition recce.

Didin’t see Fintan or Tracy before the race but managed to catch Frank. I was in Wave One and the two buckos in Wave 4. Hooter and we’re off. The 1st 700 is against the flow and long, very long….. Got to turnaround without incident and back down with the flow. However those evil feckers in Piranha  , decide it’s best to swim past the exit and down a further 100 metres to another turnaround and that last 100 metres is back against the flow when you least need it.

Exited in 32nd overall in a time of 25.27, arguably my best time this year (only six mins behind our Olympian). Meanwhile Frank and Fintan were having a good battle in the water with Fintan exiting in 35.58 and Frank in 37.35 (a whole 6 mins faster than last year). Transition was much longer than last year due to the changes but I got through with the usual efficiency.

The bike course was tougher this year with the wind, it was against you on the long hills and few straights and with you on the technical sections and downhills (when of course it is of little use). First lap funnily is like a recce, seeing how fast you can hit the technical bits, without losing grip, so it’s a little tentative. By lap five, it’s lunatic time, weaving in and out of other athletes, like a man possessed. In fact on the last lap I nearly missed the exit gate going too fast, to the screams and frowns of the marshalls. I finished in a split of 1:11:30, Frank just behind in 1:12:07 (I beat the hoor!  ) and Fintan just behind again in 1:13:21 (definitely Fintan’s best bike split).

Then came the real slog, the run. There are over 300kms of roads and tarmac paths in the Park but for some reason DCT decide to make it a cross-country course. To add insult to injury, the ground conditions were very poor, muck, roots, gravel, deep trails, hills….. Of course in true 2012 form, I managed to hit a root and lamp myself off the ground (3rd fall this year) and it was only 3k into the run, another 7k to go  . Managed to get home in a slow but solid split time of 46:12, Frank came home just behind in 47:46 and poor Fintan (run extraordinaire) was visited by the ‘Dizzy Demons’ and came home in 54.01. In true Olympic style, Gavin Noble won in a time of 2:02:53, I finished in 2:26:43 54th overall, Frank in 2:41:43 152nd and Fintan in 2:47:39 198th.

We were greeted at the finish with Red-Bull, Coke, Water, Kinetica, Ice-cream, (I think poor Fintan had doubles in everything) a Vodafone gilet and everyone was announced over the line. I then trotted over for a massage, had a chat with Gavin Noble and told him he had my bike and I wanted it back, then waited for the two buckos to arrive due to the later start times, ‘Happy Days’ as Eamonn Tilley would say. All in all a great day and fantastic organisation as usual by Piranha and the weather Gods came out as well. The goodie bag alone is worth the visit. Off with me to the retirement home now.

Results

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[Report by Don “The Don” Morrissey]

Giving it everything at the finish

Stage Four of ‘The Amigos’ National Series Tour found us in Athlone this weekend chasing much coveted NS Points. Arguably this would be the biggest and most competitive race ever, being the National Standard Distance Championships and boasting 3,000+ Athletes. Funnily I was a little philosophical going into the race, Athlone has never been a favourite venue of mine, it was an afternoon start which I hate and rumours circulating before the race suggested a reduced swim. However it was actually a positive reason why I really was in this mood, I had received the much desired email from TI last week telling me I had taken one of the 5 first round age group places from Athy to represent Ireland in the World Championships in London in Sep 2013. Season Goal complete and I actually considered not doing Athlone as a result.

So was the pre-race hype warranted? Well Triathlone extended the registration by three days ‘due to unprecedented late applications’, according to their website, however final numbers were closer to 1600, so draw your own conclusions. When the final waves were finally released, everyone that had finished ahead of me in the previous three races (+ another 4-5 that would have finished ahead of me if they had competed in the same races) were registered, so this was going to be seriously competitive and two pros had turned up, Bryan McCrystall and Mark Nolan to kill any chances of an amateur win.

Race day found us full of the pre-race nerves, joys, cryptic lingo etc etc. However Frank had a genuine nightmare week with technical issues with his ultra fast Planet X. Luckily he got it sorted but his moans as usual fell on deaf ears. I saw little of the guys before the race as I had parked at the back gate of the transition, which was a long way away from everyone. I missed race briefing because the guys on the back gate insisted that I walk the 15mins around to the front gate instead of the 30secs from the back gate to the briefing, so my bagel was much more appealing and I succumbed to my gut (as usual). I managed to get down to swim start first and saw the previous 3 waves going off. The flow as indeed very strong and would have caused serious H&S risks to do the 350 up stream. So indeed the rumours were true and the race organisers decided to run the swim all down stream from 1,000 metres (according to race briefing) OOOHHH NOOOOO!!!!.

As the current was so strong, everyone was to enter at the same time and on the wrong side of the pontoon, swim across to the race start and try and hold on for the hooter. However in reality the current was just too strong and as soon as the last person was in the water, the hooter went, giving the first guys into the water a distinct advantage (hence the farce). I had already decided to enter the water first, so I didn’t get caught with the farcical start. Before you could snap your fingers, we were exiting the water in ‘World Record’ pace. I was first out in a whopping 9.10, followed very shortly behind by PJ in 10.34, Fintan in 10.41 and Frank 11.20. I think all will admit not a great test a standard distance or for the National Championships, but none-the-less the same for everyone.

I transitioned well (even though it’s a very long one) and was out on the bike and facing the initial ramps and hills in no time. The bike course is a real time-trialer’s course, out and back on relatively flat roads, which doesn’t really suit me (Frank was smiling), but the bike out was particularly tough with the wind and what seemed like an endless hill. However upon turnaround, well explosion. I looked down at one stage and was averaging 55kms/hr. That dissipated somewhat, however I’d say I never dipped below 40kms/hr on the bike back. Unfortunately my dismount wasn’t the most elegant ever, landing like a ‘sack of shit’ on the ground. Luckily just a slight cramp, a few grazes and a bruised ego resulted and I soon found myself through transition and out on the run. As usual Frank had burned the course (approx 38kms in distance) in a freakish 1:02:39, I was a distant second in 1:05:39, while PJ & Fintan were having a blazing battle with PJ prevailing with a 1:07:00 and Fintan just behind in 1:07:19.

Meanwhile there was great excitement in the side lines with Tracy and Yvonne. They had downloaded the Triathlone App and were receiving live splits and amazingly Frank had hit T2 ahead of me with PJ less than three mins behind and Fintan just over three mins behind. That meant that this was going to be a close and exciting finish (which I had no idea of).

I had blazed out onto the course, dropped in behind the eventually female winner Aoife Lynch for a lap and a half and seemed to be flying. I felt so strong I thought a PB was definitely on today. One and a half laps into the run and Aoife Lynch was heading up the finishing chute to claim her win, while I was passing the chute and with it, leaving what seemed like all my energy at there, but with three laps still to go. I took two gels in quick succession to try and resolve the energy issues, but it had little effect and my 3rd lap was extremely difficult (over a minute slower than the other three). Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the hurt and pain was magnified when I got the tap on the back mid-way around the final lap and ‘Good Man’ blurted out, as Fintan strode past me, skipping along like a ‘March Hare’ as if he was just starting the run. He told me after the race that he was hurting at that point too, but it certainly didn’t show in his stride. I was beaten and broken, but I struggled on and finished. Form was the order of the day as Fintan as usual blazed around with the fastest split of 41.41, I was second on 45.33, Frank put in a sterling run to try and catch me but fell just shy with 46.40 and PJ just behind in 46:49.

Overall Results:
Finish Overall AG Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Overall
Fintan Redmond 107 23 10.41 2.50 1:07:19 1.31 41.41 2:04:01
Don Morrissey 117 25 9.10 2.36 1:05:39 1.40 45.33 2:04:36
Frank Burke 129 24 11.20 3.06 1:02:39 1.48 46.40 2:05:32
PJ Dunne 171 41 10.34 3.11 1:07:00 1.33 46.49 2:09:05

Certainly the most competitive race I’ve been involved in both from a Club and Overall perspective. All moaning aside, I still put it out there and Fintan was the better athlete on the day and a superb result for his first standard distance. Serious results for Frank and PJ too, they have really put it down this year with phenomenal improvements in all areas. Great day for the club and I feel more qualification slots may beckon. I wrote in a recent post ‘Roll on the Beast’, however after how I felt during the race and yesterday, I’ll be whimpering into the jaws of the Beast. Well Frank is somewhere the other side of the world today, myself and PJ are off on the same day on Wednesday week for mid season R&R and will be back just in time for the Beast, while rumour has it Fintan has already been seen running up Mount Leinster in prep for the Beast….  You have to give it to Athlone for the organisation that goes into this event, it’s phenomenal no matter what the race day issues

Results

Photos

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The fantastic four. Neoprene heroes, Frank, PJ, Fintan and Don.

[Report by Fintan Redmond]

This year has been all new challenges for me, between racing for the first time in rivers and the sea and trying to figure out the form of the three amigos “feeling sick” before a race = good performance, “not feeling sick” = bad performance, which ends up in a good performance anyway. All good fun

All four of us travelled down yesterday on our own making sure not to give up any pre race secrets and praying the weather wouldn’t get any worse. I had my coach by my side making sure I ate correctly and didn’t forget anything. The two boys (Frank and PJ) were split for the first time this season by the sounds of it, and chilling in different corners of the town before the race (must be new race tactics). Until we all meet up before the race for our usual group photos. The weather now was starting to settle nicely.

We all made our way down to the beach as instructed. I was doing my best to keep an eye on the lads as I was not sure what the procedure was for a sea start but as soon as I turned to head for the beach I’d already lost them. Trying to find the lads was like looking into a pack of penguins. Thoughts going through my head should I stay at the back middle or up front, I decided stay close to the back to be safe. All of a sudden we were off and staying at the back was a mistake. I didn’t mind swimming beside people but the f**kers doing the breaststroke, I had about a minute or two of getting the head kicked off me until eventually I got past. Then heard someone coughing up half of the sea (Mental note don’t try that). Got to the first buoy found it hard to get around that. Swimmers were starting to spread out now, which made the rest of the swim ok. Got to the beach felt like D day landing with a torturous hill to climb. Got into transition hardly had the energy to get out of the wetsuit, after fumbling and more fumbling I was ready to go. The three amigos bikes were all ready gone. Don was first out on the bike followed by PJ, Frank and myself.

The bike route was difficult enough with a nice few hills, not too bad for me until after the turn around there was a strong head wind, which made it difficult. PJ had an interesting meeting with two horses running around and two guards chasing after them like idiots, it was described as a scene from a Benny Hill show but dangerous. Frank won the battle of the bikes with Don in second, myself third and P.J fourth.

T2 another disaster for me was all over the shop getting my feet out of the shoes.

Eventually got going, nice hill straight away out of transition and then more hills and more hills. The sun was starting to heat up now, not ideal for running. Eventually got past the hills and started to make a bit of ground from here on in I got into a nice stride and had forgotten completely about the lads and just got into the zone until I was passing PJ not knowing at the time it was PJ until I heard bollox! F**k you. I said sorry don’t know if PJ heard me but it felt good for a change. Then I saw Frank and thought to myself Christmas must be coming, caught up with Frank and passed him. I think I pulled Frank on a little cause I could feel him breathing down the back of my neck. Got to the finish line there was a great atmosphere with the Redbull DJ bopping away and the sun now splitting the trees, and our faithful supporters cheering us at the finish line, thanks to Orla, Yvonne and Tracy for all their cheers of support throughout the day.

Times

Don – 1:22:53

Fintan- 1:26:05

Frank- 1:27:15

PJ- 1:28:15

Full Results

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