CLUB NEWS

24 MAY 2008

Tough Swim in Bonmahon Triathlon

Last weekend over 130 athletes turned out in Bonmahon for the annual John Collins Memorial Triathlon. It was a sunny day but quite windy so we knew we would have a tough race at some stage.  We had a few new members who were doing a Triathlon for the first time so there was a great sense of anticipation and just a little nervousness.  As we walked down to the beach to the swim start the sea looked very enticing and some people were really looking forward to having a shorter than normal swim.  The swim involved swimming out about 100m to the start and then once the race started, to swim parallel to the beach for 400m to emerge at the finish.  The sea looked deceivingly calm before we got in because as soon as we started to swim large waves and swells appeared out of nowhere and everyone, especially the weaker swimmers found it very difficult.  A few swimmers decided not to carry on as it was too rough for them...

The cycle consisted of a 16k out and back route which had the wind against us on the outward leg, made all the more difficult with the few sharp hills on the course, but made for a fast return.  The 6k run involved running up a gradual hill for the first half of it so it felt like you didn’t get a chance to get a good breath into you until you got the top and could run downhill.

Keith Radley had a great swim, considering it is his weakest of the 3 disciplines and together with a fast bike and run enabled him to pick up a prize for 5th overall in 1hr 1min.  Alan Smith was next home in a great time of 1hr 4mins to finish 8th overall.  Noel Ryan, wearing the club colours for the first time, was feeling inspired and finished 17th overall in 1hr 7mins.  Martin Kirwan, who is still pretty new to Triathlons had a great race to finish 22nd overall in 1hr 11mins.  Michael Moloney was participating in a Triathlon for the 1st time which you would never know as he finished 27th overall in 1hr 14mins.  Maria Griffin, who hasn’t been doing as much training on the bike and swim as she would like, had a brilliant race to finish 3rd female in 1hr 16mins.  New club member Derek Barrett who was also racing for the 1st time was delighted with his race to come home in 1hr 22mins. 

Brian Slattery was both looking forward to this day and dreading it at the same time.  He was a bit green emerging from the swim as it was a bit rougher than he had hoped but he made up for it on the bike and run to finish his first triathlon in 1hr 23mins.  Before the race, Norma Goggin was very excited about the prospect of a nice short swim as it wouldn’t be her favourite discipline, but was in for a shock when she got into the water.  She put in a great effort though and made up time on the bike and run to finish 1st female Vet in 1hr 35mins.  Helen Whyte’s race preparations went a bit wrong before the race as she brought the wrong cycle shoes and had to do the cycle in her runners.  It was a relief to get on the bike after the swim which she found very difficult.  Fiona Doolin, who only went into serious training a few weeks ago was delighted with her race and both she and Helen ran and chatted their way through the latter part of the run to finish together in 1hr 41mins.  Tracy Pollard didn’t like the swim at all but persevered to have a great race and finish in 1hr 54mins.  Liam Lowe was unfortunate on the bike to crash off going round a bend and dislocate his shoulder.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

Even though the swim was tough, everyone really enjoyed the race especially the tea, sandwiches and buns provided by the organisers after the race which was very much appreciated.  It was a great race, and well done to all the marshals and organisers. 

First Outdoor Swim Triathlon Race of Season

Last weekend the 1st sea swim this year took place in Valentia Island with almost 300 competitors braving the cold waters.  This race usually takes place a few weeks earlier but due to the coldness of the water it was moved back a few weeks later.  This race is unique in that competitors only swim in one direction.  All competitors get their bike etc ready in transition on the island and then get a ferry across to the mainland where the race starts.  They then swim back over to the island to complete the race.  The race consisted of a 750m swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  The cycle route starts on a nasty hill which separates everyone up nicely.  It was a 4pm start so everyone is quite rested before the race.  The sea was perfectly calm and the sun came out which made it very enjoyable. 

Tom Casey and Noel Dillon were our only 2 participants in the race who seem to make it an annual expedition.  They both emerged from the water within seconds of each other.  They passed each other a few times on the bike but Tom had the better running legs on the day finishing 9th overall and 1st vet in 1.08.20.  Noel came home 17th overall in 1.10.20.  They both beat their times from last year by 2mins and 6mins respectively.

Fingal Pool Based Triathlon

Meanwhile, on the same weekend in Dublin, the weather was not so nice.  It was wet and windy made all the worse by swimmers emerging from the warm water and environment of the pool. There were almost 300 competitors taking part in this Sprint distance race with 3 starts with about 10 swimmers per lane.  The flat water of the pool would have been turned into a much rougher swim with so many swimmers in it than most sea swims.

Keith Radley, who was participating in his 1st pool swim race, emerged from the pool a good few minutes down on the leaders but after posting the 8th fastest bike time on the day it brought him up to finish 17th overall in 1hr 08mins.  Eric Pinaqui was hoping to better his time here from last year and was not disappointed as he finished in 1hr 24 mins, 4 mins faster than last year.

Waterford to Tramore Annual Run

The 7.5 mile annual run from Waterford to Tramore took place last weekend with over 260 runners taking part.  It’s a great sight to see all the runners running out of town with all the traffic stopped for a few minutes, everyone just looking on in amazement.  Eddie Delaney, who is training hard for the Cork marathon next weekend, had a superb run to finish 9th overall in 43.29mins. Alan Smith was hot on his heels to finish 14th overall in 44.38mins.  Next home was Alan Murphy in 28th place in 46.34mins with his brother Dan not far behind in 50.52mins, both of whom are also taking part in the Cork marathon next weekend.   Dermot Power also had a great run to finish in 51.36mins.  Louis O’Carroll had an excellent run to come home 2nd male Junior in 54.43mins.  Niamh Sullivan was delighted with her run of 1hr 29secs, an excellent time.  All those long runs are definitely paying off for her.

Joey Hannon & Try-Athlon Races in Limerick

You know the Triathlon season has well and truly started when the Joey Hannon race takes place in Limerick each year.  It always attracts a large number of entrants with some of Ireland’s best athletes taking part.  It didn’t look so good last Sunday morning as we left Waterford for Limerick so early that it was still quite dark with heavy rain falling and not a trace of blue in the sky.  Extra clothes had to be packed as you didn’t know what to wear for the race.  By the time everyone got to the race though the day had miraculously changed and the sun came out and it turned out to be a scorcher of a day.  The one thing that no one thought to bring was sunscreen. 

There were 2 races taking place, the Joey Hannon Olympic race and a shorter Try-athlon.  As it was a pool based race, there were 2 starts in each race.  Everyone had to estimate their times and this determined what start and what lane you were in.  There were 10 lanes in the pool with up to 10 swimmers in the lane.  Even though it was a 50m pool it still got a bit hectic at times as some swimmers turned out to be faster or slower than others in the lane with the result that some people got held up and lost time in the swim.

Martin Kirwan and Michael Bowes took part in the Try-athlon along with over 170 other athletes.  This was a 500m swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  This was Michael’s first triathlon and Martin’s first time doing a pool swim so they were both quite nervous.  Martin’s swim is the weakest of the 3 disciplines so he came out of the water quite far behind the fastest but he made up for it on the bike posting the 4th fastest time overall and on the run to finish an excellent 11th overall in 1.22.09.  Michael’s run was his best discipline on the day which brought him up to an amazing 18th overall in 1.24.18.  A great result for his first race.

The Joey Hannon race consisted of a 1500m swim with a 42k cycle and 10k run with over 160 athletes taking part. The day had started to get quite warm at this stage but was great for the supporters standing around! Stefan Green and Noel Ryan started in the 1st wave with Shane Scadding and Colm Long in the 2nd wave.  Shane had a great swim to emerge 15th out of the water but he had a stormer of a bike, posting the 2nd fastest time overall in 1hr 3mins, which, together with a good run was enough for him to finish 6th overall in 2.05.08.

This was Stefan’s 1st time doing a triathlon so he didn’t know what to expect at all.  He had a great race to finish 50th overall in 2.30.48.  He said afterwards that it was harder than he expected which made his result even better.  Noel Ryan came out of the swim a few minutes behind Stefan but as they both had to same time for the bike and Noel having a faster run the end result was Noel to finish just behind Stefan in 51st place in 2.31.15.  I can foresee many battles between these 2 in races to come.  Colm Long had a great swim and cycle but managed to get a huge blister on the bottom of his foot on the run which ended up with a large portion of skin hanging off (not for the faint hearted!). He found it very difficult to run but persevered to finish the race not in a time he had hoped but very well considering.

First Dip in the Cold Open Water

As the 1st open water race is only a few weeks away we decided we had better take the wetsuits out of storage and talk ourselves into going for a swim in Dunmore East again to remember just how cold the water can be at this time of year.  We were very lucky with the weather as Bank holiday Monday was probably the warmest day of the year so far so it made it a little more enticing.  20 brave souls turned up, a few still half thinking of just watching everyone else but everyone donned the wetsuits eventually.  Some of the guys felt quite ashamed of their lack of enthusiasm and fear of the cold water when we made our way down to the beach to find children in the water with no wetsuits and no complaints, happily swimming around.  The water did feel pretty cold at first and there were quite a few squeals but after a few minutes we acclimatised and it didn’t feel so bad.  It’s great to have gotten back in the open water again but this is one club that could definitely not get in without a wetsuit!

13 MAY 2008

Rathgormac Hills Conquered at Duathlon

Last weekend Carrick on Suir Triathlon Club held their inaugural duathlon in Rathgormac surrounded by beautiful scenery  that would take your breath away as would all the hills on the run and bike course.  There was panic on the morning of the race as Kinsale Triathlon race had opened on-line and everyone was trying desperately to enter that as well as get ready to go to Rathgormac to do the race.  Things didn’t look good as it was raining quite heavily out and there were a few text messages from club members hoping for some excuse not to have to do the race but no one was getting out of participating no matter the weather.

On arriving in Rathgormac before the race the weather changed and the sun even came out for a while which allowed for everyone to mingle and chat and pose for photos! There was great sense of anticipation as people were checking out other competitor’s bikes and race equipment including a very useful and unusual looking drink bottle that Martin Kirwan had on his bike. 

For the race start we had to run or walk to the start line was about 1km from transition.  The first run was 5k which rumour had was very undulating so everyone (except for the strong runners) were a bit nervous.  It transpired to be just a bad as people thought so there was a lot of puffing and panting going on. 

The 20k cycle was an out and back course which involved many more hills and it had started to rain at this stage also.  The return leg of the cycle was easier than the outgoing leg so it was a nice way to finish the bike and to get off and run the final 3k which was a short 2 lap course.  This was the only flat part of the whole race which almost felt easy in comparison even though legs were very tired at this stage.

14 members of the club made the journey to Rathgormac to race plus a few extra who helped to marshal.  Eddie Delaney had a brilliant 1st run, coming in 2nd to collect his bike and had a great cycle and 2nd run to just miss out on the prizes to finish 4th overall in 1.06.22 in a top class field. A great performance from someone who only started to train properly a few months ago.  Keith Radley also had a strong race to finish 8th overall in 1.09.37.

Martin Kirwan and Dale Kennedy were next home finishing within seconds of each other.  Martin’s superduper drinks bottle may have given him the advantage to finish 12th overall in 1.12.33 with Dale 13th in 1.12.56. Michael Bowes was next home in 17th place in 1.13.53 with Michael Moloney and Stefan Green not far behind in 21st and 24th place in times of 1.15.37 and 1.17.06 respectively.  Davin Connolly was delighted with his race time of 1.18.26 to finish 27th overall.  Next home was Pat Giles who was saving the legs for today’s race by not racing in Butlerstown the night before. He reckons the duathlons are getting easier as he gets used to them which showed with his finish time 1.24.42.

Next home were the ladies with Norma Goggin leading the field.  She had a super race to finish in 1.27.15 and picked up 1st prize for 1st female Vet.  Next home was Olive O’Brien making her debut in the world of Duathlons.  She had a great race to finish in 1.31.24.  Helen Whyte was next home where she found the hills on the run tough and, for a change, couldn’t wait to get on the bike just to sit down. She came home in 1.35.40.  Ann Hennebry was delighted she didn’t chicken out of doing the race due to the weather and lack of training and was delighted with her time of 1.37.58.  Tracy Pollard managed to have a smile on her face throughout the tough race and finished in 1.49.24. It was a very tough race but everyone really enjoyed themselves and were grateful for the soup and sandwiches provided by the organisers afterwards. Well done to everyone involved.

Butlerstown 10k Race

The Annual Butlerstown 10k road race took place last weekend with over 220 participants which was a great turnout considering the miserable weather.  It was a new course this year which involved 3 laps, with a tough little hill on it, which was great for spectators as we got to watch and cheer on everyone a few times.  Niamh Sullivan was our only participant as most of the club were saving their legs and energy for the Duathlon the following day.  Niamh had a great run and was delighted with her time of 49.50mins.

Clubmember’s Success in Fenor Duathlon

We had 15 members of the club participate in the Duathlon in Fenor with great results especially as most of them have only recently taken up the sport.  Eddie Delaney was 1st of the club home in only his 2nd duathlon ever.  He was 7th in off the bike but overtook two people on the run to finish 5th overall in 1.04.21.  Tom Casey was next home in 1.05.24, 1st (super)vet on the day, 8th overall.  Michael Bowes who is also new to the world of duathlons, had a great race to finish 17th overall in 1.09.16.  Michael Moloney who was competing in a duathlon for the 1st time was delighted with his race to finish 22nd overall in 1.10.55.  Mark Power and Stefan Green both had a great race to finish 25th and 27th overall in 1.12.01 and 1.12.10 respectively. 

David Connolly, Eric Pinaqui and Pat Giles all came home one after the other in 1.15.20, 1.15.26 and 1.16.26 respectively. Brian Slattery was next home in 1.17.59 with Louis O’Carroll having a great race to finish in 1.18.59, 1st Junior home.

James Borland was delighted with his race to finish in 1.21.39.  Caroline Russell was next home in 1.32.27 with a delighted Sean Roche next home in 1.34.27.

Brendan Mooney was 7th in after the first run and was having a great cycle when he was unlucky to get a puncture which ended his race in disappointment.

First Triathlon of the Season - Nenagh

Last weekend the first Triathlon of this year took place in Nenagh.  This was the first time the newly formed club held a race and it was a great success.  It consisted of a 750m pool swim followed by a 20k cycle and 5k run.  Over 150 competitors took part with 5 wave starts and 6 swimmers to a lane.  Club member Noel Ryan decided to get a head start on the Triathlon season by making this his first race.  He was lucky in his swim lane as everyone had guessed their swim times pretty accurately so they were all of similar standard so there were no hold-ups.  It was a freezing cold day though and Noel really felt the chill when he went from the warm pool out into a strong headwind on the bike without the usual winter clothing that we are still wearing at the moment.  He could not get warm on the cycle and could barely feel his toes when he got on to the run.  His run was his best of the 3 disciplines on the day and he finished an excellent 29th overall in 1.17.48. 

Recent road races – Waterford AC 4 miler and Marine Climb

Everyone is training hard and keeping busy and some are putting their training to the test by competing in road races.  The Waterford AC 4 mile road race took place in Waterford recently with almost 200 runners taking part.  It was a bitter cold day which the runners found uncomfortable.  Brendan Mooney (who had fresher legs than he thought he would have as he got a puncture the previous day in the middle of his duathlon race in Fenor) had a great race to finish 18th overall in 22.44mins.  Maria Griffin was next home after a brilliant run to finish 2nd female overall in 23.50mins.  Dermot Power was delighted with his performance to finish in 25.17mins.  Niamh Sullivan competed in her first road race this year with a great run to finish in 30.28mins.

Last weekend, the annual Marine Climb took place in Dungarvan with over 230 runners lining up at the start.  Annette O’Mahony and Tracy Pollard were our only 2 competitors taking part in this tough race.  The race gets it’s name from the hill in the latter part of the race which is over 2 miles long.  There was a bit of a sprint finish from the 2 girls who finished together with Tracy coming home in 1.00.12 and Annette in 1.00.14. 

Podium Finishes at Spokes Duathlon

Last weekend one of the first races of this season took place in Tramore with a Duathlon comprising of a 3k run, 16k cycle followed by a 3k run. The weather threatened to turn against us at times but it remained sunny if a bit windy for the duration of the race which was probably a factor in the huge crowd that turned out for the race.  The run and cycle courses were relatively flat but there was a strong wind against you on the return leg of the bike which suited the strong cyclists but everyone else felt like they were going nowhere for a long time.

There were 25 competitors from the club taking part, the most entrants in one race we have ever had.  There were many members who have been doing Triathlons for years taking part but many of them had never done a Duathlon before so they were just as nervous as the new members who had never done either before.  There was a great buzz of excitement before the race with everyone either giving or receiving some good race tips.

About 200 athletes lined up for the race, which is one of the biggest entrants for a Duathlon in Ireland.  Sean Foley had an excellent first run and he was back for his bike 3rd overall followed closely by Davin Power, Eddie Delaney, Brendan Mooney, Keith Radley and David Brazil. The tough bike leg was where the more experienced athletes got the advantage though especially when they had to get off and run the 2nd run with tired legs for the first half mile. Running off a bike is something that needs to be practiced and can be very uncomfortable for a while.

Davin Power, who was competing in a duathlon for the 1st time, had a brilliant race to finish 3rd overall in 50.27mins.  Eddie Delaney, another newbie to duathlons also had an excellent race to finish 10th overall in 52.41mins.  Next home was David Brazil in 12th place overall 53.02mins with Sean Foley who was doing this also for the time coming home 16th in 54.07mins and Alan Murphy hot on his heels to finish 18th overall in 54.16mins.  Martin Kirwan also had a great race to finish 20th overall in 54.41mins with newbie Breandan Mooney not far behind in 23rd place in 54.53mins and Dale Kennedy coming home in 25th in 55.08mins. 

Dermot Power was next home in 56.14mins, 37th place with Colm Long finishing in 56.57mins.  Maria Griffin was the first of our ladies home with a Podium finish coming 3rd lady overall in 58.48mins.  Michael Bowes, trying this for the first time, was next home in 59.09mins with Pat Giles and Stefan Green home one after another in 59.49mins and 1hr respectively.  Brian Slattery, another newbie, was delighted with his time of 1.06.41 with Norma Goggin hot on his heels in 1.06.45 finishing 1st female vet overall.  Paul Jaques who was also doing this for the first time was thrilled with his result of 1.11.35.  Vinnie Ryan was next home in 1.14.23 with an ecstatic Sean Roche coming home in 1.14.49.  Tracy Pollard was next home in 1.19.34 with Annette O’Mahony home in 1.25.24.

We had one team entry in the race, The WAG’s, consisting of Niamh Sullivan doing both the runs and Helen Whyte doing the cycle.  They had a great race finishing 3rd team overall in 1.04.15. 

2008 Season Started with Duathlon in Limerick

Last weekend, this year’s Triathlon/Duathlon season kicked off with the first Duathlon of three taking place in Limerick.  Martin Kirwan was the first from the Club to put his training into action as he took part in this 3.8k run, 16k cycle, 3.8k run.  85 participants lined up on this chilly but sunny morning which is quite large for a race so early in the season.  This was Martin’s first Duathlon race and it still being February, the biggest challenge on the morning is what to wear for the race.  If it was just a training day he would be all decked out in thermals and waterproofs but for a race you have to assume that you will heat up once you get going.  Once the race started he put in a great performance to keep up with some of the more experienced duathletes to finish 11th overall in 54.08mins.

Kilmacthomas 5 Miler

Breandan Mooney was our only competitor in the Kilmac 5 mile road race last Sunday as most of the club participated in the Spokes Duathlon in Tramore the day before.  With almost 200 competitors taking part, he had a brilliant race to finish 11th overall in 29.14mins, a great time considering he took part in the Duathlon himself the day before.

Dungarvan 10 Miler

Last weekend saw a record number of runners line up in Dungarvan when over 700 athletes took part in their annual 10mile road race.  These hardy runners from all over the country were not put off by the wind and rain of early morning but it had cleared nicely by the time the race started in the afternoon. 

There was stiff competition in the club with new members Eddie Delaney and Brendan Mooney with Eddie being the favourite to come home first as he had the advantage over Brendan in the Winter League but Brendan ran a great race to finish in 1:02:29 just a few seconds ahead of Eddie who came home in 1:02:29.  David Brazil also had a great race as he finished in 1:03:18 with Martin Kirwan hot on his heels to finish in 1:04:06.  Alan Murphy was next home in 1:07:31 followed closely by Noel Dillon in 1:07:51.   Pat Giles came home next in 1:10:38 and Liam Lowe in 1:19:53.

13 MARCH 2008

Winter League comes to an End

It was the final week of the Winter League last Thursday and things had heated up nicely in the last few weeks with only seconds separating the top runners in the club. It was the perfect night for a fast time as there wasn’t a breeze and many people set pb’s on the night including Brendan Mooney, Alan Murphy, Martin Kirwan, Brian Slattery, PJ Tobin and Niamh Sullivan. 

Davin Power managed to hang on to the fastest time in the club with 30.18mins for the 5.2 miles which also happens to be the 4th fastest time overall in the League. Brendan Mooney overtook 2 of his clubmates to have the 2nd fastest time of 30.30mins with Eddie Delaney next fastest at 30.43mins and Shane Scadding at 30.49mins.

Olive O’Brien had the fastest time of the females with a time of 39.51mins for the 5.2miles with Helen Whyte next at 40.30mins and Norma Goggin close behind in 40.39mins. 

After the race, even though it was Valentines night, there was a huge crowd at the Mount Sion Centre for music and craic and presentation of prizes.  Dermot Power and Norma Goggin both won a prize for having the 9th and 8th best improved times respectively of the males and females.

We would also like to thank the Waterford Road Runners for a great Winter League which was run brilliantly with great time and effort from all involved including the organisers and the marshals.  We would also like to thank them for their donation to our club which was very much appreciated.

15 FEBRUARY 2008

Baldy Man Race

The annual Baldy Man race took place in Tramore over the festive period with over 200 participants taking part in the 5 and half mile race.  This race comprises running down the beach and around the sand dunes so it was tough enough to run especially as you had to be very careful with your footing or you could end with a serious injury.  Martin Kirwan decided to try this race for the first time and finished 17th overall in a brilliant time of 36.53mins.  Dermot Power was next home in 39.03mins in 35th place with Pat Giles coming home in 43.03mins.  Liam Lowe was our only other competitor and he finished in 46.43mins.

Race 1 in Club Duathlon Series

Waterford Triathlon Club held it’s first Club Duathlon in Fenor.  It consisted of a 5k run around Ballyscanlon lake area followed by a 20k cycle and 3k run.  We couldn’t ask for better weather for a November morning as the sun shone brightly but the wind picked up a bit by the time the race started which meant that we had a nice fast cycle in towards Tramore but had a struggle on the way back.  I think everyone had forgotten how hard it is to get off a bike and run especially after doing a run before the bike.  There were a few choice words to be heard as people ran or half limped up the road.  First home on the day with a comfortable lead was Keith Radley in an excellent time of 1hr 02mins followed by Martin Kirwan in 1hr 08mins with PJ Tobin home in 3rd place in 1hr 11mins.

Flying the flag for the females was Olive O’Brien who had a great race to come home first in 1hr 21mins with Norma Goggin next home in 1hr 24mins and Helen Whyte finishing in 1hr 29mins.

Pat Giles put everyone to shame though as he cycled out from Waterford, did the race and then cycled home again afterwards while everyone else was complaining of aches and pains as they got into their cars.  We would also like to welcome back to fold Vincent Ryan who has been hibernating on the triathlon front for a while.  He also had a brilliant race even if he did find it tough. 

Winter League

The very popular annual Winter League started again last Thursday with over 400 runners lining up at the RSC to take part in either the 5 mile or the 2.5mile routes which was the largest amount of people on any one night ever.  As it was the first night everyone started off together and times were taken at the finish which will be used to determine everyone’s starting time next week.  It works on a handicap system with the slower runners starting first and the fastest last so no-one feels like they are being left behind trying to catch up for the whole race. With 15 members of the club taking part on this first night there will be some very interesting times to be seen.

30 OCTOBER 2007

Marathon Men

Last weekend some of the more hardy members of the club participated in the Dublin City marathon just to finish off their season with a bang.  The weather was good if a little windy in places but perfect for the long time that everyone would be running for.  As there were over 11,000 runners taking part, there was an obvious delay in people starting the race with some at the back of the large field not starting for long time after those at the front of the field. Because of this, people had the surprise at the end of the race of finding out it they beat their nearest adversary or not.

Three members of the club took part with fellow Waterford Triathlete Tom Casey also out to get a few scalps from the younger guns.  Noel Dillon had the fastest first 10k with Martin Kirwan and David Brazil not far behind.  Tom Casey was a few minutes slower, biding his time and sticking to his pace.  By the 30k mark, David Brazil was the fastest, with Noel hot on his heels and Martin and Tom a few minutes behind.  But by the time they all crossed the finish line, it was David Brazil who had trained hard for this race who came home first in an excellent time of 3hrs 13mins.

Tom Casey had a stormer of a race for the last 12k and pipped Noel by less than a minute to finish in 3hrs 17.28 with Noel finishing in 3.18.18.  They were both delighted with this as they had a long hard triathlon season. Noel also beat last year’s time by 18mins which has a great achievement.  Martin Kirwan was also thrilled with his race as he finished in 3hrs 23mins. 

A few weeks previous to this, Pat Giles took part in the Amsterdam marathon and had a brilliant race to finish in 3hrs 30mins.

Last Triathlon of the Season

The last Triathlon of this year took place recently in Lough Rea in Co. Galway.  It has been a long and tiring season for most triathletes so it was great to see over 300 competitors take part in the Sprint and Olympic distance races which were held as part of the Loughrea festival. 

The Sprint race attracted the most athletes with almost 200 lined up for the start in the lake which was crystal clear and dead calm, that is, until the race started and then it was the usual mayhem with arms and legs everywhere.  It takes a few minutes until the field splits up a bit for everyone to find a comfortable place to swim and breathe comfortably. The 20k cycle was quite hilly as was the 5k run but the weather was great apart from some wind which everyone felt on the cycle.

Ian Walsh, who has only stated doing triathlons this year had only ever done one race before competing in this race so he was a bit nervous especially of the swim as that is his weakest discipline and he is still not used to swimming amongst the large crowds.  He emerged 70th out of the water and has his work cut out for him but then had a brilliant cycle, posting the 12th fastest time and an even better run having the 6th fastest time to finish 10th overall in 1hr 14mins.  The big fry-up he had in the morning didn’t seem to affect him too much.

Ann Hennebry who is also new the triathlon really enjoyed the race especially the swim which is her best discipline.  She had a great race also to finish 66th overall, 4th fastest female in 1hr 27mins.

The Olympic distance race which was on after the Sprint race finished attracted over 100 competitors. Barry Murray who has been away in America for the past few months was home for a few weeks so decided to squeeze in a race while here. He has competed well in a few races in America but has not been doing his usual standard of training so he was delighted with his performance to finish 21st overall in 2hrs 37mins.  Liam Lowe who had a brilliant (if not tiring) race only a few weeks previous to this in the Half Ironman really surpassed himself by finishing 46th overall in 2hrs 50mins. A great achievement.

30 SEPTEMBER 2007

Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in Half Ironman

Last week, the big race, the one that we had all been nervously waiting for finally arrived when we travelled to Kenmare to compete in the Lost Sheep Half Ironman Triathlon.  This challenging race consists of a 1900m swim, 90k cycle followed by 21k run around the lovely hills and mountains of Kenmare which included the Category 1 climb of the Healy pass and the Caha pass.  Such is the popularity of this race that when it opened up for entry months ago, it filled up in less than an hour with entry limited to 250.  So when it did open, some of us entered without thinking about it too much and then sat back and thought “what have I let myself in for?”  As the race day drew closer, there were some very nervous white ghost-like faces going around the place, wondering if they had done enough training just to get through the race not to mention actually having a good race time at the end of it.  The months leading up to this have been filled with many long swims with the dolphins and jellyfish in Dunmore East, long long cycles all over the south east and tough runs in Portlaw woods which, if you manage to run for 2 hours up there you can manage any hills.

We all tried to get a good night’s sleep the night before but with a 7am race start it was hard to find the time.  It was very a surreal feeling at 6am when everyone was cycling from their accommodation in Kenmare to the race start as it was still dark and all you could see were cyclist coming out of every corner heading in the same direction.  When daylight finally broke, it turned out to be a perfect day for this race as it was quite dull with no wind and everyone was excited setting up in transition despite the nerves.  It was difficult to figure out what to wear for the race as it was going to be chilly on the bike but warm on the run and you also had to bring energy bars and plenty fluids to get through the race especially for those who were going to be out there for a long time.

The swim course had changed this year and was longer than last year with swim times reflecting this.  Alan Smith was first of the club out of the water in 12th place with Shane Scadding close behind in 19th position.  Shane overtook Alan after a few miles on the bike and was first of the club home in 14th place in 4hrs 32mins, getting a bronze medal in his age-group and managing to knock almost 10mins off last years time.

Alan had a great race to beat last years time by almost 8mins to finish in 20th place overall in 4hrs 40mins and getting a silver medal in his age-group for his efforts.  Next home was Keith Radley who had a storming race.  Keith only started doing Triathlons last year and has come on heaps and bounds in the year.  He still has much room for improvement in this swimming as he came out 105th out of the water (and that’s without the dolphins to scare him!) but had a brilliant bike and even better run (he had the 9th fastest run overall) to finish 29th overall in 4hrs 44mins and getting a Gold medal in his age-group.  A brilliant achievement for someone who is still so young for this gruelling race.

Next home was Davin Power who also had brilliant race to finish 35th overall in 4hrs 49mins.  Noel Dillon and fellow Waterford athlete Tom Casey ended up running together towards the end of the race and were having a chat about maybe finishing together but then someone (wasn't me!) decided to up the pace and it developed into a sprint finish with Tom coming out the better to finish in 52nd place in 4.59.58 with Noel finishing 2 seconds later.  Tom also came 3rd in his age-group so ended up with a well deserved bronze medal.

PJ Tobin only entered this race after some-one else dropped out at the last minute so he didn’t have as long to get prepared or to be as nervous as others.  He was out of the swim in the second half of the field but had a brilliant cycle to overtake loads of competitors to finish in 5hrs 09mins.  The newly shaved legs paid off for aerodynamics PJ!

Colm Long was back again to try to beat last years time but he had no idea he would trash it so much as he came home in 5hrs 18mins, taking a whopping 47mins off it, his biggest improvement being on the bike.

Liam Lowe put in a lot of training for this race but didn’t feel quite ready when the time came so he was a bit apprehensive in the upcoming days.  He needn’t have worried though as he finished in a very strong 6hrs 10mins.

Helen Whyte had also trained hard for this race but was nervous about the amount of time she would be out there for and would she have enough food and fluids to get through the race. As expected she had a slow swim but was faster than planned so it was a good start.  Once she got on to the run she knew she would get through it as it is her strongest event and finished in a delighted and unexpected 7hrs 01min.  She was delighted that so many of the competing and non-competing club members had waited around so long for her to finish and it felt great to hear all the cheering.  Everyone had a brilliant race and performed much better than expected.  The benchmark has been set for next year and many will be returning to better their times.

30 AUGUST 2007

Lough Neagh Olympic and Pulse Sprint Triathlons

Last weekend some of the club made the long long trip to Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland to compete in the National Championships Olympic distance triathlon.  Because it was the National Champs, it attracted one of the highest class fields ever to gather for a race in recent times.  We awoke to a dull morning that got even duller as it neared race start.  By the time the 300 or so competitors were getting into the water the rain had started and it stayed miserable for most of the race.  It’s quite refreshing to run in the rain but cycling is a different story as it can be quite dangerous especially on tight corners and turnaround points as some people found out to their misfortune.

There was only one start in the swim with everyone having to swim out about 150m to the start line so that it would be a straight out start to avoid people getting squashed too much.  The water felt cold enough but at least it was calm. 

The 40k cycle involved 4 laps on closed roads which made it a very fast course but was quite technical and dangerous in places if you weren’t careful especially with the wet roads. If you cycled too close to the person in front you got a nice face full of dirt and water spray that made it impossible to see. It was a lovely course with only one short hill that once you were up, you felt as if you had finished the lap as it was all downhill from there to the start of the next lap.  The 10k run was also on closed roads with 4 laps which was great for both spectators and competitors as you could see where everyone was and try to catch them (or stay ahead of them). 

Shane Scadding emerged 29th out of the water but had the 6th fastest bike time, completing the 40k in under an hour, to finish 16th overall, 1st in his age-group, in 2.03.30, his best time ever for this distance and managing to beat last year’s time by 7mins 39secs. Davin Power was also having a great day as he emerged 43rd out of the swim but put in great cycle and run times to finish 26th overall in 2.10.41, his best ever time over this distance and beating last year’s time in this race by 4mins 23secs.

Noel Dillon was also on fire on the day as he came home in 2.24.15, just a few seconds outside of his personal best but managing to take 9mins 35secs off last years time on this course. PJ Tobin’s hard training is definitely paying off as he came home in 2.28.57, his fastest time yet for this distance taking 3mins off his previous best.

Ian McNulty, a former member of the Club who is now living with his family in Cork and is now a member of Cork Tri. Club also took part in the race wearing the good ole colours of the Waterford Club (or maybe he just likes the red and white).  He wasn’t as prepared for this race as he thought he was and was a bit disappointed with his run but he had a great race to finish in 2.40.59.

Helen Whyte was delighted to take a few mins off her swim time but was quite cold for the first few laps on the bike as it was raining quite heavily.  Her main thought throughout the bike course was that she wished she had mud-guards on as she could see how much muck and oil was getting onto peoples clothes and she dreaded what her own top would be like by the end of it.  She had a brilliant run even though her wet shoes caused blisters and cuts on the last lap, to finish in 3.05.59, by far her best time over this distance, and beating last years time by over 20mins.

The 6 of these athletes plus another 5 from the club will be travelling to Kenmare next weekend to participate in the Half Ironman triathlon.  This is the toughest race of all in Ireland as it involves a 1.2mile swim, 52mile cycle and 13.1mile run.

The previous weekend 10 hardy members of the Club travelled to Blessington in Co. Wicklow to participate in the Pulse Sprint Triathlon.  Weather forecasts were not looking good and they were found to be correct on the day as it rained for pretty much the whole morning.  This did not dampen the spirits of the 300 or so athletes gathered in the field in the transition area setting up their bikes and race gear and making the best out of the day that was in it. 

The 750m swim was in the lake so at least we knew that was going to be nice and flat and it was surprisingly warm. There were 3 starts in the swim based on swim ability with the females in the last start so no one knew where they finished until times were adjusted later.  There was a long run uphill from the swim exit to transition, probably about 500m but everyone put on shoes of some sort as there was a shortage of mat for the last 100m and it was quite mucky from all the rain.  This just added to the excitement of the whole race especially for the newbies to triathlon. 

The 20k cycle was very enjoyable and scenic for those who were taking the time to look around.  There were quite a few people with punctures dotted along the road so everyone was just keeping their fingers crossed that they would not be one of the unlucky ones.  The 5k out and back run was pretty flat with the rain to keep you cool.

Shane Scadding had a great swim and pushed it on the bike to claw his way to 3rd place on the run only to get overtaken towards the end so he had to be happy with 4th place overall in 58.20mins.  Next home was Colm Long who had a great race to finish in 1.08.35 in 35th place overall.  Martin Kirwan is having a brilliant first season in only his 2nd ever triathlon to finish 65th overall in 1.12.34. 

Ian Walsh was competing in his first ever triathlon and only got a late entry so he didn’t have much time to get nervous about his race.  He found the swim difficult as he’s not used to all the pushing and shoving that goes on at the start while everyone finds their place but he had a great cycle and posted the 17th fastest run time overall to finish in 1.14.57.  There will be no stopping him once he gets his swimming sorted.  Next home was Olive O’Brien who is another newbie to triathlon this year.  She had a great race with a very strong bike to come home 1.20.38.  She also had a very weird coloured toe after the race which she seemed to have broken at some stage along the way but she didn’t feel it until after the race.  What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger Olive! 

Ann Hennebry, competing in only her 2nd triathlon was delighted with her performance as she came home in 1.21.36 with Catherine Galvin also only competing in her 2nd ever race close behind in 1.22.43.  Helen Whyte was next home in 1.26.05.  John Carew and Dave Forristal both thought their race season was finished for this year until they got late entries into this race so they were a little less prepared than they had planned.  They both had a great race though and were seen running towards the finish together but John was the stronger on the run and finished in 1.28.42 with Dave close behind in 1.29.38.  John’s famous quote of the day was “there’s no substitute for training” which we hope he will remember over the winter months for next years races.

In the afternoon after the Pulse triathlon there were other “fun” activities as part of the Blessie Nessie festival.  Shane Scadding and Ian Walsh were both roped into taking part in teams of 6 in the adventure race triathlon which included canoeing 1500m, cycling 10k followed by a 3k run. Shane’s team finished first although they reckon there was some mix up with timing chips and they really finished 2nd but they got the cups! 

The following day, after liquid celebrations and little sleep, Shane, Ian, Helen and Catherine dragged themselves out of bed to take part in the 11k run.  Ian had a brilliant run to finish 2nd overall in 41mins with Shane coming home 4th in 43mins.  Helen was delighted to finish 1st in the ladies in 53.30mins with Catherine in 2nd place in 57.30mins.

Mourne Olympic Triathlon

Last week we travelled to Mourne in Co. Down for an Olympic distance race in the beautiful lake and parklands of Castlewellan.  There was torrential rain the night before which did not look like it was going to stop for days but we all awoke to the birds singing and the sun shining on Saturday morning which was the start of a great day.  There was a kids duathlon on in the morning which served as a great warm up for main event in the afternoon.  Everyone was well relaxed (almost too relaxed!) and prepared by the time the race started.  With over 300 athletes entered, there were 3 starts based on age-groups with Keith Radley and Colm Long in the first start.  Ten minutes later saw Shane Scadding, Davin Power, PJ Tobin and Noel Dillon set off with Helen Whyte in the final start ten minutes after them.  Helen was the last swimmer to enter the water as she knew she would in there for quite a long time so she was delighted to find that it was surprisingly warm.  There was a strong breeze blowing against us for the outward leg of the 1500m swim so it felt like you were going downhill on the return leg with the wind behind you and the odd wave flowing over you.

The 42k cycle was on closed roads and consisted of 2 laps of a very undulating course.  It felt like there were no flat bits, just all up or downs so it was very technical with gear changes constantly.  Because it was a 2 lap course everyone could see everyone else and how far ahead or behind they were so it made it very interesting. 

The 10k run was 2 laps around the lake on trail paths which was flat apart from one 500m hill which we had to run up and turn around on and run back down.  It was lovely to run off road for a change and made the distance seem much shorter because of the scenic views. 

Shane Scadding came back to transition after a great 7th fastest cycle and racked his bike and went to put on his runners only to find that they were not there.  He assumed he forgot to leave them out so he ran out of transition, jumping over barriers and anything else in the way, ran to his van to get his runners where he panicked to find the van locked.  He then ran back down to his bike only to realise that he had put his bike in the wrong place and his runners were exactly where he left them.  It was a terrible mistake to make and one we can only put down to him turning 40 the previous week.  We didn’t think he would start loosing his mind so fast!  Apart from all this he had a great race to finish 9th overall in 2.11.35.

Next home was Davin Power who had a great swim and strong bike and run to finish in 26th place overall in 2.20.10.

Keith Radley who was competing in only his 2nd ever Olympic distance race finds swimming the most difficult of the 3 disciplines had the 156th fastest swim but soon made up for it on the bike and run having the 35th and 34th fastest in each respectively to finish 44th overall in 2.27.59.

Noel Dillon who also finds swimming the most difficult emerging 153rd out of the water and clawed his way back on the bike and run to finish 64th overall in 2.31.48.

PJ Tobin who was only competing at this distance race for the 3rd time only had a great race especially on the bike to finish in 2.38.30.  He’s fast closing the gap on the guys ahead of him.  Colm Long was next home and was delighted with his time of 2.42.34.

Helen Whyte had a great race apart from her chain coming off on the bike.  She was more worried about the amount of oil on her hands and trying to keep her clothes clean than the amount of time she lost trying to put the chain back on.  She was delighted with her run as she took 10mins off her usual time to come home in a personal best time of 3.17.36 overall. 

Strong Currents in Athlone

Two weeks ago some of the Club travelled to Athlone to participate in their Sprint distance triathlon.  This race was billed as being the largest ever triathlon to take place in Ireland with over 1200 participants taking part in total in the shorter try-athon and the Sprint race with over 20 elites taking part afterwards in the elite championships race.  With the heavy rains that had fallen in the previous few days the river was swollen with water and had a very strong current going against the direction of the swim.  For this reason, the swim was shortened to 600m.  There were 5 starts with a planned 15mins between each start but because the currents were so strong, it took swimmers much longer than anticipated to do the swim with many not being able to complete it at all so there was over 45mins between each swim start.  Those who did manage to get through it felt very disorientated and tired when they emerged to run to their bikes to head out on the 20k cycle and then the 5k run.

Martin Mizgajski who is a pretty strong swimmer wasn’t as affected as most because of the strong currents and had a great race to finish 10th overall in 1hr 11mins, 4th in his age-group. Noel Dillon’s swim was slower than usual but he had a great cycle and run to finish 67th overall in 1hr 20mins.  PJ Tobin would rather forget his swim experience as he found it quite tough but had a much better cycle and run to finish in 1hr 29mins. 

Youghal Triathlon & Firefighter Champs

The following week the annual sprint triathlon took place in Youghal with over 200 participants taking part with the added excitement of having the National Firefighter Championships taking part in the same race.  The sea was a lot calmer than previous years and the run was on the same new course as last year which was quite hilly.  Keith Radley, who only started doing triathlons last year is having a great 2nd season.  Swimming is his weakest discipline which showed as he emerged 66th out of the water but he quickly passed most people on the bike and run to finish 13th overall in 1.10.04 having had the 5th fastest run overall.  Alan Smith who is not long back from Austria where he had a brilliant Ironman race was also taking part in the Firefighter championships being held in this race.  He emerged 10th out of the water and had a great cycle and run to finish 14th overall in 1.10.44 a brilliant result considering his still tired legs.  He finished 2nd in the firefighter champs.  Michael McGrath who was participating in only his second race ever struggled through the swim to emerge 132nd out of the water but put his foot down on drier land and posted great times for the cycle and run to finish 39th overall in 1.16.02.

2nd Podium Finish for Shane

Last weekend some of the Club travelled to Bray to participate in their Seafront Sprint Triathlon.  With the heavy rain we got Friday evening looking like it was never going to stop some of thought we could just watch the race from a nice dry distance but Saturday morning the sun came out so there were no excuses to be found.  Right from the start things went wrong though as Martin Mitzgajski got a puncture in his car on the way up and never made it to the race.  He was very disappointed as he is travelling to Poland this week to participate in their National Olympic distance race and wanted another race to practice in before doing so.

Over 200 athletes lined up on the beach waiting for the starter horn to go, pulling their wetsuits to fit properly, stretching their arms, chatting nervously when disaster struck Colm Long.  As he was putting on his goggles the strap snapped in half.  So, after a few seconds of horror, he managed to tie the straps together and they worked fine for the swim.  There was a mad rush for the water on the starter horn with everyone shouting and cheering as they ran for the water. 

Shane Scadding was the first of the club out of the water in 7th place and set off in hot pursuit of the leaders.  He got held up a bit in road works on roundabouts on the way out of town but that didn’t stop him having the 2nd fastest cycle to come back in 2nd place before heading out on the run.  He maintained this position for the 5k run and was delighted to finish 2nd overall, his highest finishing place ever in 1.04.35.

Next home was Colm Long who got through the swim with his make-shift goggles.  He had a great race to finish 45th overall in 1hr 16mins.  Liam Lowe was also having a bad day when, after having a great swim, followed some cyclists down the wrong road on the cycle and lost a lot of time before they realised they had gone wrong.  He still managed to finish 69th overall in 1.21.07, a great time considering.

Helen Whyte was delighted with her swim, especially as it was shorter than it was supposed to be and was after passing a good few cyclists when 3 miles into the race she heard a funny noise on her bike.  When she got off and had a look she was horrified to find a safety pin sticking out of her back tyre.  She pulled it out and thinking she might be lucky started cycling again but half a mile later her wheel was flat.  Her race was over.  She got a lift back but instead of just retiring from the race feeling like she had done nothing she put on her runners and did the run with another guy who has also gotten a puncture.  She didn’t officially finish the race but still felt like she did most of it.

Carrick on Suir Triathlon

Two weeks previous the annual Carrick on Suir Sprint Triathlon took place.  Our own race took part in Dunmore East the previous day so many of our new club members had participated in that with our more seasoned members marshalling and running around.  So it was very tired and sore bodies which arrived in Carrick on that afternoon for the race.  There were 3 starts to the race with Males, Females and the Army championships in each different start totalling over 250 participants.  Because the swim was down-stream, it was a fast one with everyone coming out close to each other.  There were only seconds separating the top 20 swimmers which included Shane Scadding, Martin Mitzajski and Davin Power.  There was a new cycle route this year so you didn’t know what was ahead of you until you got there and was made a little more difficult as the rain came down in the middle of it.  The run was as scenic as ever which included running back along the river.

Shane Scadding was first of the club home having another great race to finish in 8th place in 1.00.15 with Martin Mitzgajski close behind in 11th place in 1.00.45.  Davin Power was next home in a great time of 1.03.31 in 20th place overall. Colm Long was delighted with his race to finish in 1.12.34.  Eric Pinaqui who had raced in Dunmore East the day before somehow had the energy to take part today and had a brilliant race to come home in 1.14.35.

07 JULY 2007

The Hook or By Crook Triathlon

“The Hook or by Crook” Triathlon which Waterford Triathlon Club held recently in Dunmore was a huge success with almost 400 athletes taking part between individual and team entries.  We were very lucky with the weather on the day with the sun beating down for the morning as everyone prepared for the race.  There was a sense of excitement and nervousness as everyone was chatting and setting their bike and running gear up in transition.  We had 13 members of the club taking part, 10 of whom were doing a triathlon for the first time ever.  This was the day that they had all been eagerly waiting for.  The months of training and preparation were now going to put to the test. 

There were 2 starts to the race, with males 20-39 in the first swim start and all others in the 2nd start 12 minutes later.  The 750m swim started at Beach strand and swimmers went out to 2 buoys and back in to Councellors beach where they had a steep run up to transition in the car park. Transition is where athletes take off their wetsuits, put on helmets and take their bikes and whatever else for the bike section and return there afterwards to change shoes etc. for the run.  For people new to the sport, this can be a difficult section of the race as it takes practice to do this as efficiently and fast as possible. Valuable minutes can be lost or gained here. 

The 20k cycle was out the road towards Waterford to a turnaround point and back in to transition where the athletes then had to do the 6k run which included the dreaded Killea hill.  There were many red heads by the time they got to the top of this hill.  The long awaited finish was outside the park in Dunmore East where everyone was thrilled with their performance.

First of the club home was David Brazil, participating in a triathlon for the first time in a while, who finished 21st overall in 1.22.41.  Next home was Maria Murphy Griffin who was doing a triathlon for the first time.   Maria, who’s name you would normally see in papers every week for her brilliant running results, turns out to be a very good triathlete also.  She came home 54th overall in a time of 1.29.34, 5th female overall with the fastest running time of the females.  Close behind was Martin Kirwan who was also participating in a triathlon for the first time, having a brilliant race to finish 59th overall in 1.29.59 with Stephen Doyle, also competing for the first time apart from a trial run in Bonmahon triathlon was hot on his heels finishing in 1.30.38.

Alan Murphy was next home in 1.33.28, a slower time than he expected but he lost time on the bike course as he had mechanical problems with his bike.  Mary Doolan who was competing in a triathlon for the first time was delighted with her race to come home in 1.33.41, 9th female overall. Next home was Eric Pinaqui who only started doing triathlons last year in a time on 1.35.44.  P.J. Griffin, another first-timer, was delighted with his race, especially to get the swim over and done with and to get onto the bike where he feels most comfortable, finished in a great time of 1.40.17.  Next across the finish line was new-comer Olive O’Brien who was heard complaining at the top of  Killea hill that she shouldn’t be there and wanted to know who talked her into doing this race!  She was thrilled with her time of 1.43.15 and has entered her next race already.  Ann Hennebry was also competing for the first time and she too had a brilliant race to finish in 1.44.51.

David Forristal, who was a bit nervous about the swim and had never done a race before needn’t have worried as he had a great race to finish in 1.51.40.  Catherine Galvin, also a newbie to the sport was delighted to finish in 1.52.38.  Norma Goggin who seemed to have a smile on her face throughout the whole race also had a great first race to finish in 2.09.44. Everyone had a great day and are now looking for another race to do this year. 

30 JUNE 2007

The Hell of the West Triathlon

Last weekend one of the largest and most popular Triathlons, not the mention one of the toughest, took place in Kilkee, aptly named “The Hell of the West”.  This race was Olympic distance which consisted of a 1500m sea swim, 45k cycle and 10k run which took in all the sights and hills of West Clare.  The cycle course had changed this year but it was still as long and hard as the previous course.  There was a top class field taking part with Ireland’s best going head to head with each other.  How you perform in this race is usually a good indicator of how your training is going. 

With the weather being wet and miserable in the week leading up to this race, it was a pleasant surprise to have the sun shining for the duration of the race with many getting sunburnt.  There were 2 starts with the 25-39yrs males in the first start which included most of the potential winners of this race and everyone else 10mins later.  With nearly 600 athletes taking part, it was a great sight to see everyone take to the waters which were unusually calm and warm.

Davin Power was not having a good day and tensions were high as he got a puncture while testing his bike before the race even started.  He was lucky to get a spare tube and got his wheel mended in time to race.  Davin, PJ Tobin, Noel Dillon and Martin Mizgajski all started in the first wave with Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte in the 2nd start.  Martin had a great swim and was first of the club out of the water with Davin, Noel and PJ not far behind.  Martin’s cycle time was slower than he hoped as he had the disadvantage of not having a aero bars on this bike so Davin overtook him on the run to finish in an excellent 25th place in 2hrs 24mins taking a huge 12mins off last years time.  Martin came home next in 2hrs 27mins in 35th position.  Noel Dillon also had a great race to finish in 2hrs 42mins taking a huge 10mins off last years time.  PJ Tobin, who was only doing Olympic distance race for the 3rd time had a brilliant race to finish in 2hrs 47mins.

Shane Scadding who was in the 2nd start got caught a bit behind slower athletes from the 1st start on the swim and bike but that didn’t stop him having a great race with his best time yet for this race with one of the fastest bike times overall as he came home in 8th place overall in 2hrs 14mins, taking 6mins off last years time, winning his age-group. Helen Whyte was very nervous getting into the water as she hasn’t done a lot of swimming recently but the calm waters were easily manageable and she actually enjoyed the swim.  She was delighted with her overall time of 3hrs 35mins.

We would also like to congratulate fellow Waterford athlete Tom Casey who was doing Olympic distance race for the 1st time who came home in a remarkable time of 2hrs 36mins to come 3rd in this age-group.

Gold Medal in age-group at National Sprint Champs

Last weekend Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte made the very long journey to Mullaghmore in Co. Sligo to participate in the National Sprint Championships Triathlon which involved a 750m sea swim, 20k cycle and a 5k run.  Everyone woke up to a miserable Saturday morning but that didn’t deter over 300 athletes from taking part.  There were 4 starts in the race, the first start being a shorter swim course for novices.  The main event then got underway with Helen starting in the 3rd wave and Shane in the last wave.  The water was freezing cold and it was a very rough swim to the first buoy until the turn home to the finish.  Many people’s swim times were slower by a few minutes and it took a long time to warm up on the bike afterwards as the air temperature was quite cold also.  The cycle and run were on an undulating course but it was very scenic which helped make it quite enjoyable.

Because of the various starts, no-one knew where they had finished until the times were adjusted.  It was only when the results were announced that Shane found out he had finished 4th overall in 1.05.47, just 3 seconds behind 3rd place finisher who had started in a previous wave, winning a gold medal for finishing 1st in 40-44 age-group.  He also had a brilliant cycle having the fastest time overall on the day in 31.46mins.

Helen had a slow swim as she didn’t have the strength to fight the rough sea on the way out.  She made up a good few places though on the cycle and run which she really enjoyed to finish in 1hr 38mins. 

05 JUNE 2007

PB’s all round at TriAthy

Last weekend 4 members of the club travelled to Athy to compete in one of the biggest races in Triathlon so far with over 550 finishers in the two races, Sprint distance and Olympic distance that were held on the same day. The 4 guys all took part in the Olympic distance race with Davin Power starting in the first wave and PJ Tobin, Barry Murray and Noel Dillon all in the second wave.

The swim consisted of swimming 1200m downstream and the final 300m upstream.  Davin had a great swim and was having a brilliant cycle when disaster struck with only about 2 miles to go on the bike.  His front wheel went off the road and hit something rough so his tyre blew up and Davin ended up crashing off the bike.  He escaped with only a few bruises and scratches but his race was over for the day.

Barry, PJ and Noel all had great swims to come out within a minute of each other.  Noel was first out of the swim and had the fastest 40k bike time of the three but Barry put the foot down in the 10k run and managed to pass him.  Barry finished 55th overall in 2hrs 21mins with Noel finishing in 69th place in 2hrs 23mins, both recording their best times over this distance.  PJ, who was doing only his 2nd ever Olympic distance race, came home in 2hrs 31mins, managing to take an amazing 20mins of this previous time.  Just goes to show what some hard training will do.

Dublin City Duathlon

Last Wednesday night in very hot and humid conditions Colm Long and Martin Kirwan took part in the Dublin City Duathlon held in Phoenix park.  This consisted of a 3.2k run, followed by a 16k cycle with another 3.2k run.  Entry was limited to 150 athletes and competition was fierce as the race filled up very fast with many people not being able to take part.  Colm came in just ahead of Martin after the 1st run but Martin was stronger on the bike and went past him and managed to stay ahead of him for the duration of the race.  This was Martin 2nd time only doing a duathlon so his did brilliant to finish 42nd overall in 46.05mins.  Colm, who was given a 40 second penalty for someone else knocking over his bike in transition, came in not far behind in 47.36.

Touraneena 5k Road Race

Keith Radley had a great race in Touraneena last week when he took part in the 5k road race with over 150 other runners.  He finished 28th overall in 18.02mins.

29 MAY 2007

Fingal Sprint Triathlon

Last weekend amid terrible weather conditions Shane Scadding, Helen Whyte and Eric Pinaqui took part in the Fingal Sprint Triathlon in Abbottstown in Dublin.  It was a 750m pool swim which was just as well as it was so windy it wouldn’t have been nice to have been in open water anywhere.  As there were over 250 participants the swim was broken into 3 different starts, 10 lanes with 9 swimmers per lane. It was Helens first time in years doing a pool swim race and it was quite daunting especially as it was a 50m pool.  It got quite manic at times as swimmers were trying to overtake each other and some swimmers were not allowing others who were faster to overtake them at lane ends. With all the splashing and kicking it felt like a rough sea swim but Helen got through it ok although she was 2 mins slower than her usual time.  The 20k bike and 5k run were much more enjoyable even though it was very windy and she made up quite a few places to finish in 1hr 34mins. 

Shane’s swim was just as hectic as he was in the same lane as the best swimmers and there was a good chance that the overall winner on the day was going to come from that lane.  He got a held a bit up behind a slower swimmer at the start and 3 others got a lead on the rest in the lane so he had a slower time than he should have had.   When he came out to get his bike, it was so windy, he found that his helmet had blown half way down the bike park so he lost even more time here but he made up for it as soon as he started pedalling as he had one of the fastest bike times and managed to claw his way back to 6th place which he maintained on the run, finishing 6th overall in 1hr 04mins, first in this age-group.

This was Eric’s longest race swim since he started doing triathlons last year as the swims in the races he did previous to this were all shorter.  This was also his first time doing a pool swim so he was a bit nervous but it was all unfounded as he had a great swim and followed it by an even better cycle and run to finish in 1hr 28mins which he was delighted with.

Valentia Triathlon

Last weekend Noel Dillon travelled to Valentia Island in West Cork to participate in their annual Sprint distance triathlon.  This race has grown in popularity in the last year with over twice as many entrants this year as last year with 212 athletes lining up.  The race involved swimming the 750m out to Valentia Island and then doing the 20k cycle and 5k run around the island. Noel, who was having his own personal battle with his brother Liam who is in the Wicklow Tri Club, had a good swim in just over 15mins as they both came out together but just didn’t have it in the legs on the day and finished a few minutes behind his brother for the second time only in 1.16.49.  At least he didn’t wear socks in the swim like last year where he spent 2 minutes trying to get them off him when he came out!

I must also mention Tom Casey (unaffiliated Waterford man) who was delighted with his race as he had one of the fastest runs overall on the day to come in 24th place overall in 1.10.24.  Not bad for an auld fella!  He wasn’t so delighted the next morning though as he had left some electrics on in his camper overnight and had to get a jumpstart from a local tractor driver.

26 MAY 2007

Waterford to Tramore Road Race

Last Saturday evening there was a great sense of excitement as over 235 athletes lined up at The Mall in Waterford to participate in the annual Waterford to Tramore 7.5mile road race.  Alan Smith was first of the club home in a brilliant time of 44.49mins to finish 12th overall.  Alan is training hard at the moment for an Ironman Triathlon in France next month.  Alan Murphy also had a great race and was next home to finish 40th overall in 48.07mins.  Next home was Pat Giles who finished in 51.29 mins and Dan Murphy coming home in 1.00.33.  New club member Norma Goggin who wouldn’t normally run this far had a brilliant race to finish in 1.10.25.

Shane Has Podium Finish

Shane Scadding was the first of the club to participate in a Triathlon this year when he competed in the Joey Hannon in Limerick.  The race changed distances to an Olympic triathlon this year and was held in University Limerick which has a 50m pool which was great for the 1500m swim.  Shane lost a good bit of time in the swim as it is his weakest of the 3 disciplines but he had one of the fastest cycles and runs of the day and with 2k to go on the run, made his way up to 3rd position to finish in 2.02.26, his fastest time ever for Olympic distance race.  A great start to the season.

Waterford Duathlon a Great Success

The Duathlon which Waterford Triathlon Club held in Butlerstown recently was a huge success with 113 athletes on the day.  It consisted of 5k run, followed by a 20k cycle followed by a 3k run.  Nobody minded the light rain which started to fall just before the start as it kept them cool throughout the race.  After a hard battle throughout, it was won by Galway’s Ruadhri Geraghty in 59.10mins with local athlete Aubrey Storey finishing in 2nd in 1.00.54 and Lloyd Berry coming in 3rd in 1.01.29.  Kevin O’Brien was first vet home in 1.03.10. 

The ladies race was won easily by Catherine Keogane in 1.14.50 but the next 3 ladies were very close with Cork’s Susan Griffin finishing in 2nd in 1.16.22 and local runner Maria Griffin, who was doing a duathlon for the first time, running past Norah Daly close to the finish line to get 3rd in 1.16.59.  Norman Goggin from Tramore was first vet home in the ladies to finish in 1.31.27. 

Cycle Races

Martin Mizgajski has been very busy the last few weeks participating in cycling races in both Clonmel and Co. Wexford with great results.  It was an 80k race in Camross, Co. Wexford on a course which had 2 long hills to speak of but which they had to cycle up 7 times as it was a 7 lap course.  This suited Martin, who is very strong on the bike and he finished an excellent 3rd overall in the C race. 

In Clonmel, it was 3 laps on an 80k course, again they had a steep hill to cycle up 3 times where the men get separated from the boys.  Martin had another brilliant race to finish 4th overall in the C race...

29 APRIL 2007

Club Participation in Duathlon

Some of our many new club members took part in the duathlon with great success, some for the first time.  First home on the day was Martin Mitzgajski who is a seasoned triathlete, participating in Ireland for the first time.  He had a brilliant race to finish in 8th place in 1.03.52.  Colm Long had a great race to finish 30th overall in 1.13.17 with Martin Kirwan, participating in a duathlon for the first time ever, hot on his heels to finish 31st in 1.13.46. 

There was also a battle between 2 other members new to the sport who were also making their debut here with James Benson and Pat Giles coming in 36th and 37th in 1.15.03 and 1.15.24 respectively.  Pat, who had run in the Butlerstown 5k the night before found the 2nd run on the day harder than he expected and experienced “jelly legs” off the bike so he was delighted with his result. David Brazil was one of the favourites on the day but he was unlucky to get a puncture on the first lap on the bike so he had to retire.

Butlerstown 10k

Last Saturday evening almost 250 runners lined up outside the IDA centre to take part in the annual Butlerstown road race.  Most of these were taking part in the 10k race with others in the 5k race.  It was a cool evening for the race, perfect running conditions as most people heated up quite quickly as soon as they hit the hill at the start of the 2nd mile.  At least Pat Giles and Olive O’Brien only had to run up the hill once as they had opted to do the 5k race.  Both are well capable to do 10k running but Pat was playing it safe as he was taking part in the Waterford Duathlon the following day.  Even so, he ran a brilliant race and finished 1st overall.  Olive, who is doing a lot of running lately had never actually done a road race before so this was her first experience.  She was delighted to finish in 27minutes and can now wear the t-shirt proudly.

In the 10k race, Davin Power was first from the club home in 39.25 mins, a great time considering he had done a 23mile fast time-trial cycle before hand as part of his training.  Noel Dillon was next home in 42.13 mins, a bit slower than what he is capable of but he had gone out cycling the cycling club in the morning so his legs were quite tired. 

PJ Tobin also ran a great race and was next home in 44.04 mins.  Helen Whyte, who has been doing a lot of running lately was delighted to finish in 48.59mins, her fastest time in a long time.  Next home was Niamh Sullivan in 54.04mins, but she got a bad stitch in the race and suffered most of the way around. 

Wedding Bells

Congratulations to Niamh Sullivan and Davin Power, members of the Club, who got engaged last week.  There were huge celebrations all round as it was both their birthdays the same weekend also.  It’s a wonder they were recovered enough to race so well last Saturday.

17 APRIL 2007

Marine Climb

Last weekend almost 200 athletes took part in the annual Marine Climb road race in Dungarvan which is the first race of the Ger Wyley Sports Summer series.  This is a testing race with 6 miles of hardship especially on a hot sunny evening like last week.  But this didn’t deter Pat Giles, who has done this race a few times.  He ran a brilliant race to finish 50th overall in 42mins 41secs.

Plassey 10K

Last weekend, 14th April, Noel Dillon travelled to Limerick to take part in the annual Plassey 10k run. There were 250 competitors taking part. The course was set in the scenic grounds of the University of Limerick. Noel had a great race to finish 15th overall in a time of 40mins, 50 seconds.

Fermoy Cycle Race

Amid glorious sunshine last Sunday, Shane Scadding, Davin Power and Barry Murray travelled to Fermoy to try their hand at a cycle race.  This was the first time that Davin or Barry did a cycle race but they weren’t a bit nervous before the start.  It was a 4 lap course over 51 miles with Davin having a bad start as he fell off his bike in a static position even before the race began.  We thought that would be the end of his bad luck but as he started lap 3 he frightened all around him with a loud bang as his tyre blew up so he had to retire from the race.  Shane and Barry did well to finish in the main bunch averaging 23mph for the duration of the race.

Connemara Half Marathon

Catherine Galvin travelled all the way to Connemara to participate in the half marathon along with hundreds of other runners.  It was a very hilly course but probably one of the most scenic routes in Ireland which kept her going as she ran well to finish in 1hr 58mins...

24 MARCH 2007

Waterford AC 5k Spring Series Road Races

Two weeks ago when most people were suffering from a hangover after St. Patrick’s day 115 runners took part in the first of the Waterford AC 5k Spring Series road races in Waterford.  Barry Murray was first of our club home with a great run to finish 7th overall in 18.13mins with David Brazil hot on his heels to finish 9th overall in 18.15mins. Liam Lowe dusted off his racing shoes for the event and had a great run to finish in 24.16mins.

Last weekend was week 2 of the series in which 121 runners took to the road.  David Brazil put in a great performance to finish in 8th place overall in 17.54mins, taking 21secs off his previous week’s time.  Pat Giles ran a hard race to finish in 32nd place in 20.30mins.  Next Sunday is the 3rd and final race in this series.

Moyglass 4 Miler

Elsewhere, Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte travelled to Moyglass, Tipperary to take part in their annual St. Patrick’s day 4 mile road race.  There was a high standard of runners among the 80 participants and Shane did well to finish 13th overall in 22.59mins taking 1 minute off last year’s time.  Helen also had a great race to finish in 32.30mins, 1st in the over 35 category, taking a huge 2.30mins off last years time.

Carrick Cycle Race

Back closer to home, PJ Tobin and John Power took part in the annual St. Patrick’s day cycle race in Carrick-on-Suir.  This consisted of a 3 lap race totalling 99k.  This was PJ’s first time doing a cycle race so both he and John did great to finish in the main bunch.

Dungarvan 10k

A few weeks ago the 25th annual Eason Dungarvan 10k road race took place in Dungarvan.  Over 210 runners took part in this popular race with some very fast times being ran.  Keith Radley ran his first race this year with great results to finish 25th overall in 38.03mins. Alan Murphy also put in a great performance to finish in 37th place overall in 39.24mins...

17 MARCH 2007

Novice B Champs

Last Sunday Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte travelled to Coolquill in Tipperary to compete in the County Novice B Road Championships.  It was an undulating course made more difficult by the windy conditions.  The mens race was 5k in which Shane tucked in behind the leaders on the outward run and then made his breakaway on the homeward stretch to win easily in 17mins 13secs.  His club, Ballynonty AC, came 1st overall also. Helen’s race consisted of 3k, which she ran hard to come home in 13mins 59secs which she was delighted with.

Wicklow Race

Meanwhile, Barry Murray braved the elements in the Wicklow mountains to compete in a 10k race over very rough terrain which involved lots of rocks and rivers.  He had a great race to finish 15th overall.

Ballycotton 10

The previous week Noel Dillon and Pat Giles travelled to Ballycotton, Co. Cork to compete in one of the top 10 races in Ireland and England, The Ballycotton 10mile road race.  Nearly 2000 runners compete for entry in this race which attracts a very high standard from all over Ireland and the UK.  Noel had a brilliant race to finish in 1hr 07mins, 250th overall, beating last years time by 4 mins. Pat also had a great race to finish on his target time of 1.09.59, 330th place overall...

05 MARCH 2007

Last Sunday over 160 runners travelled to Kilmacthomas to participate in the Bausch & Lomb 5 mile road race.  The weather was lovely if not a little windy but that didn’t stop everyone having a good race.  Alan Murphy who seems to have developed a love for racing recently ran a great race to finish 35th overall in 30mins 16secs.  Seasoned runner Pat Giles also had a great race to finish 53rd overall in 32mins 34secs.  Dan Murphy, new to road racing, was delighted with his time of 39misn 13secs.

The previous week almost 150 runners took part in the postponed Baldy Man run in Tramore.  This was an 8k run down the beach and around the sand hills which is a bit more interesting then your normal run. It is a tough and technical race so times would not be exceptionally fast.  Four members of the club decided to take on this challenge with great results...

27 FEBRUARY 2007

Kilmacthomas 5 Miles

Last Sunday over 160 runners travelled to Kilmacthomas to participate in the Bausch & Lomb 5 mile road race.  The weather was lovely if not a little windy but that didn’t stop everyone having a good race.  Alan Murphy who seems to have developed a love for racing recently ran a great race to finish 35th overall in 30mins 16secs.  Seasoned runner Pat Giles also had a great race to finish 53rd overall in 32mins 34secs.  Dan Murphy, new to road racing, was delighted with his time of 39misn 13secs

The Baldy Man

The previous week almost 150 runners took part in the postponed Baldy Man run in Tramore.  This was an 8k run down the beach and around the sand hills which is a bit more interesting then your normal run. It is a tough and technical race so times would not be exceptionally fast.  Four members of the club decided to take on this challenge with great results. 

Barry Murray was first of the club home to finish 16th overall in 35mins 47secs.  Close on his heels was Alan Murphy who came home 17th overall in 37mins 13secs.  Pat Giles finished 44th overall with a time of 39mins 54secs with Declan McGrath not far behind in 56th place to finish in 41mins 24secs.

Clonmel Road Race

Elsewhere Shane Scadding and Helen Whyte took part in a Novice County Road race in Clonmel.  Shane’s race consisted of 4 miles in which he finished 10th overall in a terrific 21mins 58secs.  Helen was delighted when she found out she only had to run 2 miles until she realised it would be a 2 mile sprint instead of a longer slower run.  She managed to hang on in the middle of the field and finished in a time of 14mins 15secs, her fastest time in years!

Open Day

Waterford Triathlon Club held it’s Open day last Sunday in the Tower Hotel.  There was great interest and lots of people dropping in to chat to club members and to find out what’s involved in training for and participating in Triathlons, duathlons and aquathlons.

21 FEBRUARY 2007

Dungarvan 10 Mile

Pat Giles was our only competitor in the10mile road race recently in Dungarvan.  It was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for running.  Pat had a great race to finish in 1hr 10mins, exactly the time he hoped to do it in.

Winter League

Last Thursday saw the final run of the Winter League.  It was a huge success with over 600 runners registered to run over the 12 weeks with an average of over 270 each night.  13 members of Waterford Triathlon Club took part in the league with everyone improving on their time towards the end of it. 

Alan Murphy was the most improved over the duration taking a whopping 3mins 21secs off his first night’s time coming home in 33.23mins on the last night. Noel Dillon was next best improved taking another huge 2mins 53secs off his original time to finish in 34.01mins on his best night.  Shane Scadding was next best to take off 2mins 50secs off his original time to do the run in 30.35mins on his best night, one of the fastest times overall.  Niamh Sullivan was next improved to take 2mins 41secs off her original time to complete the run in 43.02 on her best night.  Helen Whyte was next best as she took 2mins 15secs off her original time to come home in 43.28mins on her best night.  Barry Murray was next improved with his best time on the last night of 31.52mins taking 1.53mins off his first night. 

Newcomer Olive O’Brien only started the league with 3 runs left but managed to take a huge 1min 45secs off her original time on the last night to come home first on the night in 47.19mins. Michael Carroll was next improved to take 1min 28secs off his original time to finish in 43.46 on his best night. PJ Tobin has been working hard as this running over the last few weeks and it showed as he took 58 secs off his original time to finish in 38.58mins on the last night. Declan McGrath was next best improved as he took 38secs off his first nights time to finish in 36.57misn.  Liam Lowe took 30secs off his first nights time to finish in 42.24 on his best night.  Pat Giles took 27secs off his first nights time to come home in 43.12 on his best night.  David Brazils best time was 30.17mins which was one of the fastest times overall.

After the run last week there was a night out in Mount Sion centre with plenty of prizes and food for everyone with music and dancing.  The Waterford Roadrunners also donated lots of money to various organisations and clubs.  Everyone who took part in the races and who helped organise the league should feel proud at how great the whole event went.

See below for times of our members during the league campaign...

Barry Murray 33.45 33.45   33.49           32.12   31.52
Alan Murphy 36.44 35.14 34.39 34.38     36.37 35.08 34.12   32.43 33.23