National Duathlon Championships

A few weeks back I scrolled through the triathlon Ireland calendar of events and noticed the national duathlon champs. The only thing I saw was the 40km bike and the fact it was in mondello. The run bit I'd worry about later...

So the running has being going well, I had curtailed it a bit with Ras mumhan the week before as there'd be no forgiveness there if I turned up with tired run legs. So I came back from kerry and myself and rob worked on short fast run sets to hopefully open me up for   what lay ahead in the 6.7km first run leg of the race.

I knew this would be very difficult because I can't tell you the last time I did a 5k race, over 3 years ago definitely!.

So the format was a 6.7km run followed by a draft legal 40km bike(road bike)  and then to finish off a 3.4km run.

I think what the years of competing has given me is a cool head and put out of my comfort zone I try and stay calm keep smiling keep talking and have an attitude of what will be will be. If I didn't feel pressure to do well I certainly did 20 mins before the race!.. Alot of talk surrounded me in what I was going to do. Ah well I'm here now, all I can do is my best.

The race was in mondello race track and very much spectator friendly. Karen and the kids were there along with Eve. I knew the kids would love the laps as they rarely get to see a race like that. The weather was awful but the grandstand sheltered them from the rain.

Another thing the years of racing has taught me is wear clothes!.. I wore an underlayer along with my VeloRevolution  speedsuit and a gilet. The kids lined up as if it were a summers day...(not mine, the ones I was racing against!).. "I'll give you boys 45 mins in that '' I said to myself.

Run

Bang and I mean BANG...! The race was on.. Those guys just exploded out of the traps. I felt lazy slow heavy but I got into it." Relax.. Do your thing.. There's an hour of biking to make up for this.. " I kept saying...  Then a few guys started coming back to me and then I'm running with dessie Duffy and Cillian heary although I don't think Cillian was 100%. OK.. Keep this..  It got hard after 5km running off road in muck and grass. I thought transition would never come.

Bike
The bike was draft legal on road bikes. The course was wet, exposed and windy with a few hidden drags. I never raced mondello before and it took me a lap or two to find my line, although it was hard to take the correct line as I was passing out guys that were in front or either being lapped. 

Eve was switched on to give me laps to go and splits. I would veer over towards eve to hear the split to the leaders and then... "come on Dad!!!" would follow me round the first bend.. The time was not coming down by more than 5/10 secs a lap inside the first 3 laps.. In cases like this I ask myself a very simple question.. "can i go any quicker?".. No is the answer..  So I tell myself again to remain calm.. There's alot of road to cover.

Very quickly after I thought the race was out of my reach I caught the chase group of maybe 8. I haven't much time to play so I rest for a minute or so at the back and then seated coming out of a corner I go full gas and I'm alone again. Now I'm in 4th with 3 up the road

My confidence lifts and I'm in a race. Eve gives me more splits and after 6/7 laps I catch the guys. Now the race gets tactical.. Mintern, O'Reilly, Jackson are the leaders.. I try an play the the alpha male and coax the guys to ride with me. Mintern seems to be the only guy switched on to know what I want to do so out of the first bend with a few laps remaining I put the power down and he comes with me dropping the other two. I isolate him and get a gap and flicked the elbow for him to ride. I knew he wouldn't come round so slowed to a near  stop. With that the two lads passed us and i wasn't to worried.. It forced Mintern to close the gap and I sat on until it was closed and then I attacked and wasn't coming back. From here I had to go full gas, eyes to the tarmac with my bontrager Balista cutting through the wind. I still didn't think it was possible given how fast the guys ran and they're used to the bricks more than  me. With 2 laps to go the gap was only 30 secs, I figured I needed a  minute . Then all of a sudden the gap went out to 90 secs...  (Remember what I said about wearing some clothes!! )

With eve giving me laps remaining she had given me 1 to go but rounding the last bend thinking I had 1 to go I looked at my garmin for the first time and it said 40km...time to get out of the shoes.... "you've another lap she says" ... "do I f&@k!!"..

Final run

When I say my legs hurt I mean they feckin hurt like never before .. Lungs burning.. I couldn't feel my feet.. I had to look down to see if I put my shoes on as I couldn't feel my feet..." Beastmode, animal, dog, woof woof "... Shouts from the terraces... Holy Jaysus lads I'm a normal human being!!!

In my mind I was going to be caught but it didn't happen.. I resigned myself to silver or bronze but gold was there with 1 km to go... Then I upended myself and near broke myself falling on a corner... I got up as quick as I went down.

Fimilar faces cheered me to the line and it felt nice. It was great my family was there to share the moment with me. I now have an excuse to wear a national jersey!!

Womens Champ 

Congratulations to Heather Foley the women's champion, pure domination from start to finish. Chapeau ! 

Thank Yous!

This was an individual race but thanks to my team mates over the weeks for keeping me right when I wasn't going well. Thanks also to our sponsors Asea, Wheelworx, Trek, Cyclepowermeters.com, Niall Clarke Oils and amphibia . Thanks also to Personal Sponsor Wattbike Ireland, Udos Choice and Nateralife. And my friend Rob Griffths.... the man who understands!!!!

The biggest thanks of all is to my amazing wife. K you are the best XX

BMC

Ras Mumhan 2016

Easter weekend for the last 2 or 3 years is spent down in the Kingdom with like minded fools that ride bikes. We were down racing the epic 4 day race Ras Mumhan that takes in some of the most beautiful countryside your eyes will ever see. But this time it was hard to see because we were dodging pellets sometimes called hailstones.

It was a horrendous couple of days with the sun coming out for the Easter rising on Monday.

Race

I was not looking forward to it nor did I think was I ready. There was no gamesmanship in previous blogs talking down my form. I have to give a word of thanks to Brendan Grimes for bigging me up and restoring my confidence. I went down with the intention riding for the team but the race turned on its head on day 2 and i had to roll with what was about to happen.

Day one for me was exactly what I thought about myself. I went backwards on the drags and climbs but I used my experience to hang in and finish in the bunch. Ali  and Mark were in the break and were super strong, unfortunately for them 4 of the Irish team were in it too. It was a tactical error in our part that was to be the difference for the weekend. Mark finished 3rd on the stage.

Day 2 is in my favourite town of Kenmare. I know the roads pretty well at this stage and its a stage I go well in but i didnt expect much because of yesterday. But all of a sudden im up the road with a gap going out to the bunch before we hit the Healy pass. Im with 4 others and my thinking is ride hard as fuck and hopefully a selection comes across. I sat up on the decent on the Healy as I saw Ali coming across but he was with the Yellow of McGlinchey from the Irish team. Not ideal but we rode together. The gap went out very quickly  with conditions  worsening  and riders fading in the break. Ali makes a move over a KOH at 70km and I follow taking the guys by surprise. Instantly we're gone and we go to work. From here Im convinced its the move that'll stamp our control on the race. We get a time of Fifty odd seconds to the yellow in the middle of the Ballingeary climb. But like houdini I hear a free hub spin and its the yellow jersey. 

So we have to reinvent our strategy. McGlinchey got a free ride for a long time and it annoyed me so cresting and then descending the county bounds i put an effort in that would force him to ride infront of ali. I wanted Ali to get a free ride while McGlinchey chased me. Thats what happened but all the time the conditions are shocking. Its cold, wet and windy. Time goes out but I get word McGlinchey dropped Ali. Ali cramped up and lost his wheel...That wasnt meant to happen so now I had to keep going for the stage. Id been riding hard all day and the strava file shows it. My pace dropped considerably coming to the line but with encouragement from the team car and Brendan going nuts I crossed the line taking a Memorable stage. I only had 4 secs to spare where I should have held my 50 second advantage but I have to give credit to mcglinchey for that.

Day 3

You wouldnt put the cat out in it.. The weather was ridiculous. I think lads signed on but didnt tog out.. Coming out of Waterville we lit it u along with Aqua blue and few others to really isolate the Yellow jersey. I wasnt too hot from the previous days efforts  and was under pressure but Im baffled how it stuck together as it was really hard for the first 20/30 mins. The Irish team showed theyre calibre at that point in the race and It was the winning of the jersey. We had to sit on our hands for a while and sent Dowling and Armstrong up the road. Here I thought GC could be turned on its head if Dowling would let loose. It nearly was to be but Mark ran out of steam and took 3rd on the stage. Myself and Ali got distanced on the Comminaspig climb but we were to make ground with 30km to go and finish with the yellow. I blew my lights with 5 km to go and rolled in 20 secs off the jersey.

Day 4

Try as we might  McGlinchey was too strong and fit for what my tired body could give. Plan A was to somehow get the jersey. Plan B was Dowling or Armstrong to win the Stage. Two boys were trucking and Dowling made the move and established the break with some smart riding. Late on Armstrong was going over but was to puncture. The Peleton always catching the break my job was now to somehow control the peleton and not let anything out. Luckily Mark gauged his effort to perfection and took the last stage.

As a team we won the Points, Mountains, 2 stages, 2 x 3rd's on a stage and 2nd &3rd overall. To top it off we got best team. It was a successful weekend but Id give it all away for me or  Ali to have taken the Yellow Jersey. No doubt we'll be back.

On reflection I made some tactical errors on the road that are bugging me but Ill put it in the memory bank. Im happy how the weekend went, the team working well on and off the bike. Thank you to the Ras mumhan for a great weekend racing and special thank you to Brendan Grimes and Gary morton for looking after us like professionals. And apologies to my wife... Twitter had her at her wits ens on Sturday.... 33 seconds... 28 seconds... 21 seconds.... 10 seconds... Winner! thank fook!