Post by jp on Aug 11, 2008 17:26:23 GMT
Just a note on my experience of the CK Race, Brian asked me to say a few words but mighyt of gotten carried away, grab a coffee of two for this one. 
Race Report.
My first Olympic Distance Triathlon. Well after spending a whole week carb loading for the Caroline Kearney which consisted of Pasta, more pasta and a bit more pasta to which my partner Tanya was none too pleased about, fears of putting on weight were high in her agenda plus I don't think our two dogs every eat as rich in their lives from the leftovers. The week leading up to the race were very nerve racking for me as only have done a few sprint distance triathlons before doing a full one really got me worried, can I finish it, what should I be eating, have I enough training done etc but luckily enough there was no shortage of advice from the Midland Tri club gang to help me along.
Well the Evenings before race all looked good, all the Club got together to help putting up the Marquee and stands for the race, Race Marshals were on the short side, I could see Brian almost getting sleepless nights wondering if there would be enough there to help on the race day, everyone ended up asking friends, family, children neighbors cats and dogs to help. but all came together in the end.
Well the morning of the race was not the best for me, after a very poor nights sleep I woke up to the sound of rain pounding down on the Roof window and to what nearly sounded like gale force winds blowing outside and I thought; great, my first race and im going to get drowned and blown into every ditch that Castletown has to throw at me. So I loaded up the bike(still pouring down rain at this stage) and gear and we headed off to Lilliput. As we got there the auld butterflies in the belly were fluttering like mad, I quickly began to realized when I saw the competition there that I was in a totally different league, my lovely bike which I paid 650euros for last year now looked like a 1920s high Nelly compared to the other fancy sleek bikes on display, I said to my self "what am I doing here?" plus the fact that not all of the marshals had not arrived some of which I had promised would be there at this stage Gerry saw me and must of noticed my worried face and told me to relax and focus on the race, all will be grand, well coming from the Iron Man himself gave me huge comfort so I began to set up for the race, unpacked the wetsuit, got all liquids and gels helmet and runners ready and started chatting to the other competitors, joking about the lack of sun and the need for sun screen later of which I wish I hadn't because I got a lovely farmers scalding from the 5 minutes of sun before the race, us ginger red heads don't take too great to the sun!
Well then we all set down for the water, over 260 people with pink hats all with one thing in mind, 'Getting through 1500 meters of water without getting kicked/bruised/beaten or scarred in anyway and I can tell you its not a nice experience being surrounded by that many people in the water, luckily Doug was there to give me a few tips in the water before the whistle blew..."Get as close to the front as ya can and bleedin swim like mad" he said so i did, got plenty of kicks and wallops, goggles were kicked off twice and got punched in the nose, but the shore was in sight and god was i happy so pulling off the wetsuit and coming out of the water the crowd was the best lift anyone could get, full of cheering and encouragement for everyone. On to the transition, mad dizzy i proceeded to put my cycling shoes on the wrong feet got sorted with that eventually and nearly headed off with someone else's bike. Off we went on the road and cycled like there was no tomorrow, I don't know what the people passing me out were cycling for but I sure as hell couldn't catch them, 2 laps around Castletown and I felt every bit of it but kept saying to myself the run is next, it'll be grand, back into transition and Aiden Daly shouting at me "c'mon ya F"£**R ya, nearly there!" thanks Aidan! on went the runners and on the road i went, all was grand till the mother of all stitches kicked in to my side but again there was all the supporters and Marshals there shouting encouragement so there was no way I was giving up I tell you, if that water station wasn't there on the run I was a goner for sure, eventually I got rid of the stitch and kept it going, nearing the entrance to Lilliput I knew the end was near and managed to get a burst to sprint for the last of it, thanks to the family and Tanya and friends cheering me on, and what a relief it was to cross the finish line with good auld Gerry spouting out the names of the finishers as they crossed over, getting most of them right Gerry apart from My cousin Barry who you mistook for my brother but we'll forgive you on that one. If anyone had said to me last year I was going to do a full Triathlon I never would of believed you but all I can say is now is when's the next one!?!?! All in all one of the best experiences I have ever had, looking forward to my next one. ;D
JP
Race Report.
My first Olympic Distance Triathlon. Well after spending a whole week carb loading for the Caroline Kearney which consisted of Pasta, more pasta and a bit more pasta to which my partner Tanya was none too pleased about, fears of putting on weight were high in her agenda plus I don't think our two dogs every eat as rich in their lives from the leftovers. The week leading up to the race were very nerve racking for me as only have done a few sprint distance triathlons before doing a full one really got me worried, can I finish it, what should I be eating, have I enough training done etc but luckily enough there was no shortage of advice from the Midland Tri club gang to help me along.
Well the Evenings before race all looked good, all the Club got together to help putting up the Marquee and stands for the race, Race Marshals were on the short side, I could see Brian almost getting sleepless nights wondering if there would be enough there to help on the race day, everyone ended up asking friends, family, children neighbors cats and dogs to help. but all came together in the end.
Well the morning of the race was not the best for me, after a very poor nights sleep I woke up to the sound of rain pounding down on the Roof window and to what nearly sounded like gale force winds blowing outside and I thought; great, my first race and im going to get drowned and blown into every ditch that Castletown has to throw at me. So I loaded up the bike(still pouring down rain at this stage) and gear and we headed off to Lilliput. As we got there the auld butterflies in the belly were fluttering like mad, I quickly began to realized when I saw the competition there that I was in a totally different league, my lovely bike which I paid 650euros for last year now looked like a 1920s high Nelly compared to the other fancy sleek bikes on display, I said to my self "what am I doing here?" plus the fact that not all of the marshals had not arrived some of which I had promised would be there at this stage Gerry saw me and must of noticed my worried face and told me to relax and focus on the race, all will be grand, well coming from the Iron Man himself gave me huge comfort so I began to set up for the race, unpacked the wetsuit, got all liquids and gels helmet and runners ready and started chatting to the other competitors, joking about the lack of sun and the need for sun screen later of which I wish I hadn't because I got a lovely farmers scalding from the 5 minutes of sun before the race, us ginger red heads don't take too great to the sun!
Well then we all set down for the water, over 260 people with pink hats all with one thing in mind, 'Getting through 1500 meters of water without getting kicked/bruised/beaten or scarred in anyway and I can tell you its not a nice experience being surrounded by that many people in the water, luckily Doug was there to give me a few tips in the water before the whistle blew..."Get as close to the front as ya can and bleedin swim like mad" he said so i did, got plenty of kicks and wallops, goggles were kicked off twice and got punched in the nose, but the shore was in sight and god was i happy so pulling off the wetsuit and coming out of the water the crowd was the best lift anyone could get, full of cheering and encouragement for everyone. On to the transition, mad dizzy i proceeded to put my cycling shoes on the wrong feet got sorted with that eventually and nearly headed off with someone else's bike. Off we went on the road and cycled like there was no tomorrow, I don't know what the people passing me out were cycling for but I sure as hell couldn't catch them, 2 laps around Castletown and I felt every bit of it but kept saying to myself the run is next, it'll be grand, back into transition and Aiden Daly shouting at me "c'mon ya F"£**R ya, nearly there!" thanks Aidan! on went the runners and on the road i went, all was grand till the mother of all stitches kicked in to my side but again there was all the supporters and Marshals there shouting encouragement so there was no way I was giving up I tell you, if that water station wasn't there on the run I was a goner for sure, eventually I got rid of the stitch and kept it going, nearing the entrance to Lilliput I knew the end was near and managed to get a burst to sprint for the last of it, thanks to the family and Tanya and friends cheering me on, and what a relief it was to cross the finish line with good auld Gerry spouting out the names of the finishers as they crossed over, getting most of them right Gerry apart from My cousin Barry who you mistook for my brother but we'll forgive you on that one. If anyone had said to me last year I was going to do a full Triathlon I never would of believed you but all I can say is now is when's the next one!?!?! All in all one of the best experiences I have ever had, looking forward to my next one. ;D
JP
