Post by faya on Aug 31, 2008 18:39:31 GMT
All roads led to Carlingford on Sat 30th August for the " Lets Give Andy another Go" Olympic Tri. Well not really, but anyway it was a good day out.
My wife commented on how many people were from the North and the outer parts of Ireland and wondering why I was such a loser being the only one from Midland tri-club participating at it. " you must have no friends. Where are all your "friends" that you talk about running with in Belvedere and swimming at Lilliput during the week??" So with that. told her to shut up, stay in the car and read the paper for the day. Will be back in a while luv.
All was not well when we arrived. A lone stranger ( turned out not to be a stranger) had pulled up beside our car telling us in a fine Newry accent
" See yee, yee cant park there" to which Jenny replied " see yee, I am 8 months pregnant and I am going to park here. Its a parking space mister ( almost more colorful than that), I am not in the way and I cant walk 1/2 km back to public car park if yee dont mind, yee!" Um, thought my card was marked from that moment for the rest of the day. He was one of the senior race marshalls, kept following me after that.
Then some welcome, smiling faces. Yvonne (Kane), looking very relaxed and ready for the challenge along with Joe (Holton) and Alan ( maye). See I do have friends Jenny.......
Swim, a yes the swim, after a chronic start, headbanging, kicks and a six foot (woman) croc from Setanta Tri to wrestle from my clutches with some salt water down the windpipe for good measure, it seemed fine. Open sea water swimming wouldnt normally be my forte, but with Mick Duggans warning about the possibility of a shark turning up for lunch ( i do look like a seal in a wetsuit) , I kicked for home as fast as I could. Transition was a disaster as I couldnt get the right leg out of the bloody suit with the time chip catching, followed by a cramp and then, well, decided to have lunch in the middle of it with Jaws, Chief Brody and Richard Dreyfuss. Waved them off back into the water and headed out on the bike.
The bike was the norm, pedal pedal pedal and think grimly of the lovely run ahead on the main road route that seemed to go on for eons and eons. Mist descended from the Cooley mountains and it was hard to see where I was going at times. Paranoia set in about the possibility of a puncture. I passed one fella who was out of the race with puncture and then saw a bloody magpie. Jaysus! Put the boot down and headed back for Carlingford sailing Club
With not a pink towel in sight, on with a pair of runners that actually fitted me property!OH the pain at the start, that horrible jelly-legged feeling from the bike to ground, the run on hard roads not helping, I thought they would go from under. Very slow start I thought, this is going to take me all evening.There will be a search party out for me at this rate ( minus my marshall friend who i forgot to tell you, I left with Jaws and Setanta Croc after the swim!)
Surprisingly, and I have never found myself in this position ever before ( ad I know Duffy or Aidan Daly wont believe me) I started to pass people out without around 4k to go. It must have taken me at least 35 mins for the first 7K and it all seemed to move quickly thereafter. I know why this happened, while running along the road, I was greeted by a Borat style "High Five" by none other than Yvonne Kane who shouted " keep it up, going great". With that I looked at the watch, put the boot down and came in at just under 2h36mins. At time of writing this email, official results yet to be posted. Alan and Joe were of course well ahead and posted great times.
Yvonne, I apologise for not waiting to see you in at the finish but Jenny said she had to go to the loo urgently in the hotel across the road. I thought she was dilating!! With that, a quick sup of Gatorade, a big smile to my Marshall friend as we pulled a handbrake turn in his precious carpark space and out for home. A good day had by all
A.F.
My wife commented on how many people were from the North and the outer parts of Ireland and wondering why I was such a loser being the only one from Midland tri-club participating at it. " you must have no friends. Where are all your "friends" that you talk about running with in Belvedere and swimming at Lilliput during the week??" So with that. told her to shut up, stay in the car and read the paper for the day. Will be back in a while luv.
All was not well when we arrived. A lone stranger ( turned out not to be a stranger) had pulled up beside our car telling us in a fine Newry accent
" See yee, yee cant park there" to which Jenny replied " see yee, I am 8 months pregnant and I am going to park here. Its a parking space mister ( almost more colorful than that), I am not in the way and I cant walk 1/2 km back to public car park if yee dont mind, yee!" Um, thought my card was marked from that moment for the rest of the day. He was one of the senior race marshalls, kept following me after that.
Then some welcome, smiling faces. Yvonne (Kane), looking very relaxed and ready for the challenge along with Joe (Holton) and Alan ( maye). See I do have friends Jenny.......
Swim, a yes the swim, after a chronic start, headbanging, kicks and a six foot (woman) croc from Setanta Tri to wrestle from my clutches with some salt water down the windpipe for good measure, it seemed fine. Open sea water swimming wouldnt normally be my forte, but with Mick Duggans warning about the possibility of a shark turning up for lunch ( i do look like a seal in a wetsuit) , I kicked for home as fast as I could. Transition was a disaster as I couldnt get the right leg out of the bloody suit with the time chip catching, followed by a cramp and then, well, decided to have lunch in the middle of it with Jaws, Chief Brody and Richard Dreyfuss. Waved them off back into the water and headed out on the bike.
The bike was the norm, pedal pedal pedal and think grimly of the lovely run ahead on the main road route that seemed to go on for eons and eons. Mist descended from the Cooley mountains and it was hard to see where I was going at times. Paranoia set in about the possibility of a puncture. I passed one fella who was out of the race with puncture and then saw a bloody magpie. Jaysus! Put the boot down and headed back for Carlingford sailing Club
With not a pink towel in sight, on with a pair of runners that actually fitted me property!OH the pain at the start, that horrible jelly-legged feeling from the bike to ground, the run on hard roads not helping, I thought they would go from under. Very slow start I thought, this is going to take me all evening.There will be a search party out for me at this rate ( minus my marshall friend who i forgot to tell you, I left with Jaws and Setanta Croc after the swim!)
Surprisingly, and I have never found myself in this position ever before ( ad I know Duffy or Aidan Daly wont believe me) I started to pass people out without around 4k to go. It must have taken me at least 35 mins for the first 7K and it all seemed to move quickly thereafter. I know why this happened, while running along the road, I was greeted by a Borat style "High Five" by none other than Yvonne Kane who shouted " keep it up, going great". With that I looked at the watch, put the boot down and came in at just under 2h36mins. At time of writing this email, official results yet to be posted. Alan and Joe were of course well ahead and posted great times.
Yvonne, I apologise for not waiting to see you in at the finish but Jenny said she had to go to the loo urgently in the hotel across the road. I thought she was dilating!! With that, a quick sup of Gatorade, a big smile to my Marshall friend as we pulled a handbrake turn in his precious carpark space and out for home. A good day had by all
A.F.
