Triathlon Chonemara - what a course

This weekend saw 4 Club members participate in Triathlon Chonemara at Cill Chiarain, Carna, Galway. This is an Olympic  Distance race which is part of this years National Series.  The weather was mild and the rain held off.  There was a noticible breeze from the south (which played its part on the bike).

The swim was in the sea with all 186 competitors off in one wave in a clockwise circuit from the pier around 3 buoys.  We all got through it OK.   Then onto the bikes.  The first watch out here is the climb immediately out of transition onto the main road.  It is around 200 metres and it is tough.  The bike is an anti-clockwise loop. The first 15km is OK then there is a left hand turn onto a 5km stretch across a bog road (great scenery if you had the time). Then there is another left and onto the road back past Carna and into Cill Chiarain.  The southerly breeze played its part for the last half of the bike (straight into our face), and there are plenty nasty little climbs.  However, its the run that takes the biscuit on this one.  Its straight up hill out of transition for 2.5km.  Then down a dip, then back up hill, down a dip, turn around a bollard and do it all again.  Agony.

We all got through it safely.  Well done Eamonn Kennedy who completed his first Olympic distance race.  Eamon reckons he could have picked an easier one!  I don't think he could have picked a harder one. Well done Declan Cooke who has now completed two Olympic events in two weeks.  Meanwhile myself and Michael Forde had our usual race.  Well done Michael. Both Michael and myself managed to come third in our respective age groups.

The event was really well organised by Galway Triathlon Club (www.galwaytriathlonclub.com) with a Bar-B-Q afterwards outside the local shop (and the rain continued to stay away).  Great job Brian Galvin as TI Technical Delegate.

If you are going to give this race a go next year my advice is do lots of hill running. I mean hills like the Windy Gap in Lough Talt.  Needless to say I didnt.

 Bernard McG

July 26, 2009 22:18

Bernard