Lough Key Triathlon 2010 – Irish Sprint Championships

I wasn’t really sure where I was when I woke up on Sunday morning. I stumbled out of bed, wandered downstairs and a smiling lady was there with a bowl of porridge for me . .  jam too . . . maybe it was a dream ? Moments later some grapefruit juice and not orange shattered that dream.

The previous evening I drove from County Clare to Roscommon on a never ending winding road in the rain. I arrived in Boyle and proceeded to drive around it for about an hour – never ask a Boyle man where Lough Key is at closing time on a Saturday night.

With some porridge, jam, coffee, coffee, toast and coffee down it was time to race once again.

In my search for fitness I had a decent weeks training behind me after Dublin City Triathlon and having raced in Kilrush the previous evening I knew today would be a tougher test.

The swim went fine – there is something strange about the swim in an Irish race – the better athletes do not really want to start alongside each other  – I don’t know why. Lets get it on !!! Start as close as you can to the faster swimmer ! Give him a slap to let him know you are there ! Use the faster water he and the others create to get out from the masses. DO NOT SWIM WIDE AROUND THE BOUY. If it is 750m swim leg, swim 750m and not a meter more. If it is a right hand turn start to the right of the middle etc etc

Out on to the bike and I crashed at the first corner ….. shit shit which knee did i bang (?) was my first thought. Phew, thank goodness it’s my left hip and knee that are bleeding and not my right. A quick assessment of the Sl3, jump the chain back on and I was off like Schleck.

I caught back up with Conor Murphy and settled into a decent tempo. Conor had been training in Switzerland with the Irish Team and had just come down from altitude for the race as he prepares for Budapest World Champs – so I knew he would be in good shape. Maybe he was in better shape than I would have liked on the first kilometer of the run though ! as he darted through transition and up the hill.

In the end I was able to slowly pull away and hold a winnable advantage into the final Kilometer. It was a close finish and great to have a tough race to end a fine week. As I reported to my mailing list and support team :

“It was a busy weekend therefore but a very satisfying one as I attempt to build my fitness after a difficult summer. Over the last 10 days it has been great to be a part of 3 very well organised  races in Ireland – as usual the enthusiasm and atmosphere at Irish races is something I recommend every triathlete to experience – with over 3500 athletes racing over both weekends there was a lot of positivity and fun to be had during great efforts. 
 

Two Irish Championship Titles in 7 days – I have to be pleased with that and I am BUT . . . . . there is still that inevitability

Damm that Monkey !

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